CHARSADDA: Rejecting the provincial government’s decision to include several union councils of Charsadda tehsil in the proposed new tehsil of Umarzai, a multi-party conference (MPC) held here the other day announced to resist the move with full force.

The local leaders of political parties said that the local population would have to face severe administrative and travel problems due to this decision. In this regard, a multi-party conference was held at the residence of local leader Fawad Ehsanullah in Gulabad, Sardheri, under the chairmanship of former provincial minister Alhaj Ehsanullah Khan.

The meeting was addressed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz district president Mian Humayun Shah Kakakhel, former provincial minister Alhaj Ehsanullah Khan, Awami National Party’s Kamran Jalil and Ayaz Khattak, Qaumi Watan Party’s Asif Kamal Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Tasawur Shah, PTI’s Towhid Khan, JUI’s Qari Irfan and other leaders of various political parties.

It was informed in the meeting that the union councils being included in the proposed Umarzai tehsil included Union Council Gulabad, Khan Mahi, Rajr-1, Rajr-2, Atmanzai, Tarnab, Hisara Yasinzai, Dosahra and Dargai.

The speakers said that this decision was tantamount to injustice with the people of the area as it will force people to travel long distances even for a simple government service.

The leaders said that the proposal to construct the administrative block of the proposed Umarzai tehsil at Cheena would create additional difficulties for the local population, as the citizens would have to change multiple vehicles to reach that place.

The meeting also made it clear that they have no objection to the establishment of a new tehsil, however, including the aforementioned union councils was unacceptable.

The MPC demanded that the union councils that have been included in the new tehsil be immediately removed and the status quo be restored.

The leaders unanimously announced that if the decision was not withdrawn, a full-scale resistance movement would be launched, while meetings would also be held with the relevant authorities in this regard soon.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2025