MANSEHRA: Jamaat-i-Islami on Sunday announced to revitalise the Hazara province’s movement next month with the party’s central emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman leading the campaign nationwide.

“Almost all mainstream political parties have expressed their support for the creation of Hazara province. Our party is now revitalising the movement, and Hafiz Naeem will lead it across the country,” Abdul Razzaq Abbasi, JI’s Hazara emir, told reporters here.

He emphasised that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government also supported the cause with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif publicly pledging to back Hazara province’s creation.

“Now that PML-N is in power, it must honour its commitment and table a resolution in Parliament to grant Hazara the status of a separate federating unit,” Mr Abbasi asserted.

Local leader says party chief Naeem to lead campaign next month

He highlighted Hazara’s economic viability, stating that the division generated over 80 per cent of the country’s electricity and contributed significantly to the national development.

“We are organising a massive public gathering in Abbottabad on April 26, where, among other leaders, our central emir Hafiz Naeem will address it,” he announced.

Mr Abbasi also pointed out that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had twice passed resolutions in favour of Hazara province, stressing that the federal government must now follow suit.

“Our province receives over Rs2 trillion annually under the National Finance Commission award, yet Hazara remains deprived of its due share,” he lamented.

He said that Hazara was rich in natural resources and played a pivotal role in the country’s development and economic prosperity.

POWER SUPPLY SUSPENDED: Residents of the city and its suburbs were left furious after the Peshawar Electric Supply Company suspended power supply for over 12 hours plunging the city into darkness on Saturday night.

“Most parts of the city and surrounding areas remained without electric supply throughout the night.

Pesco’s technical staff and linemen, stationed at the complaint centre and grid station, failed to repair the reported faults, leaving people helpless,” said Mohammad Waheed, a resident.

The central parts of Mansehra, including Channia, Abbottabad Road, King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, and suburban areas such as Hado Bandi, Safada, and Khushala sustained the nightlong blackout.

“People were forced to have Sehr in complete darkness. Pesco often cuts power under the guise of technical faults to cover line losses, which is unacceptable to us at any cost,” Mr Waheed added.

He urged the prime minister to take notice of the prolonged and unannounced power outages, especially during Sehr and Iftar, and hold accountable those responsible.

Another local, Mohammad Siddique, criticised Pesco for its failure to ensure uninterrupted power supply, despite residents paying hefty electricity bills.

“We spent the entire night in darkness, and even during the day, power was not restored. Pesco officials didn’t bother to address the reported faults if there were any,” he lamented.

Mr Siddique pointed out that despite a bill recovery rate of over 99 per cent in Mansehra the residents continued to suffer from frequent and prolonged power outages.

He said that the prime minister should take notice of the suspension of electricity during the holy month of Ramazan.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2025