PESHAWAR, Jan 5: The lawmakers from both treasury and opposition benches in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly here on Thursday showed sagacity over the politically divisive issue of Hazara province.

Lawmakers of Awami National Party, both factions of Pakistan Muslim League and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl said that Muttahida Qaumi Movement and other forces would not be provided opportunity to divide people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along linguistic lines.

PML-Q legislator from Abbottabad Qalandar Khan Lodhi on a point of order criticised ANP leaders for making hue and cry and holding regular press conferences over MQM's demand for carving out Hazara province from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said that ANP leaders should refrain from issuing statements, which offended people of Hazara and also provide opportunity to other elements to draw political mileage. He said if nobody was bringing resolution in favour of creation of Hazara province then why ANP leaders were issuing statements.

“So far this is non-issue and we have no intention to table resolution in the assembly,” said Qalandar Lodhi, asking ANP not to generate controversy. He said that all issues would be resolved in the larger interest of the people of the province.

PML-N member from Hazara Javed Abbasi castigated MQM for bringing resolution in the National Assembly. He said that MQM was hatching conspiracy to create rifts between people of Hazara division and Pakhtuns in Karachi.

“MQM has no representation in the provincial assembly and political leadership in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the ability and determination to resolve all issues,” he said, adding that his party did not want division of the province on linguistic lines.

Mr Abbasi said that provincial assembly was the proper forum to hold debate on creation of new province and PML-N would fulfil all constitutional requirements needed for creation of new province. He said that his party understood intentions of MQM and others, who were supporting creation of new provinces in the country.

MMA lawmaker Mufti Kifayatullah said that issue about creation of new provinces should not be blown out of proportion and political parties should give priority to the national interest. He said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman had recently supported creation of Hazara province.

Inayatullah Khan Jadoon and Sardar Aurangzeb Nelotha of PML-N also criticised MQM for doing politics on the issue of Hazara province.

Replying to the point of order, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Altaf Hussain wanted to divert attention from real issues and create new controversy. He said that ANP had struggled for 63 years to change name of the province, but never used unconstitutional means.

He said that MQM wanted division of Sindh to set up Jinnahpur. He added that MQM should stop killing people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Karachi and give them their basic rights.

The minister said that political parties should follow constitution and the provincial assembly would have to pass resolution with two/third majority of the total membership in support of creating new province. He said that ANP was not against creation of Hazara or any other province if constitutional requirements were fulfilled.

Mr Hussain said that government had decided in principle to carve out a new division from Hazara. He informed the house that decision regarding creation of new division was pending because of delay in census. He said that once the census process was completed Abaseen division comprising Battagram, Kohistan and Torghar would be notified.

The assembly passed The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Enforcement of Women Ownership Rights Bill, 2011. The house allowed PPP lawmaker Dr Faiza Rashid to introduce The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Labour Laws Application Workmen Bill, 2012 despite opposition by Minister for Labour Sher Azam Wazir.

Another PPP member Shazia Tehmas was not allowed to introduce bill regarding regularisation, organisation and development of home-based workers. The move was defeated after it was put for vote.

Deputy Speaker Khushdil Khan, who was presiding over the proceedings, adjourned the house till 4pm Friday.