PESHAWAR, July 31: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government has finally decided to seek a non-controversial name -- Afghania -- for the NWFP which has been without a ‘proper name’ since its creation in 1901.

The provincial government selected Afghania out of six names proposed by various political parties and formally requested the federal government to rename the province as Afghania, meaning an abode of Afghans.

Talking to Dawn, provincial Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Malik Zafar Azam said the NWFP government could change the name of the province, but it might open up a Pandora’s box and the MMA did not want to open new fronts.

According to the Constitution, he said, the NWFP was a province and only the National Assembly could amend the Constitution. He said: “People have proposed six names, but a majority is in favour of Afghania. We have sent some recommendations on provincial rights to the Inter-Provincial Coordination Committee that also include the change of province’s name.”

He said he had not made any separate request on this issue, adding that a private channel which telecast his interview had made it a special issue. He said the NWFP was not a proper name for the province and the MMA wanted a proper and meaningful name.