A view of the National Assembly.—File Photo

ISLAMABAD: A row ensued in the National Assembly on Tuesday as Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Awami National Party (ANP) leaders argued over the creation of new provinces in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), DawnNews reported.

In an NA session chaired by Nawab Yousuf Talpur, the MQM presented a recommendation that called for the creation of new provinces of Hazara and South Punjab and said that the matter should be debated upon in the assembly.

During the session, MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said that new provinces should be created in Punjab and KP.

However, ANP leader Ghulam Ahmed Bilour reacted by saying that the division of KP would not be tolerated. Moreover, he added that a party which could not secure any seats in KP had no right to speak of the province’s division.

We have never talked of dividing Sindh, so why should KP be divided, said Bilour.

A heated argument between the two parties followed, due to which the assembly’s proceedings had to be halted for 20 minutes.