PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has bifurcated Kohistan district into two carving out one more administrative unit after which the total number of districts in the province has gone up to 26.

The announcement to the effect of the provincial government’s decision was made at a press conference addressed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s adviser on information technology Abdul Haq Khan.

“Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has fulfilled the longstanding demand of Kohistanis for splitting the Kohistan district into two – Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan,” said Mr Khan, a PTI-affiliated member of the provincial assembly from Kohistan.

Notified as a district in 1976, Kohistan prior to the incumbent provincial government’s decision to bifurcate it into two involved 7,492 square kilometres.

Justifying the bifurcation, Mr Khan said that people belonging to Lower Kohistan faced a lot of difficulties and incurred high transportation costs to access Dasu, the district headquarters. He said that the provincial government accepted the longstanding demand of the people of Kohistan and approved the creation of a new district.

After the bifurcation, the new administrative units would be called Upper Kohistan district and Lower Kohistan district. Both the districts will include two each tehsils, smaller administrative unit within a district.

The Lower Kohistan district, according to Mr Khan, would include Pattan and Paalas tehsils whereas the Upper Kohistan district would be composed of Dasu and Kundia tehsils. Both the districts, said Mr Khan, would have around 473,000 people each.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.