MPA Sajjad Barkwal rebels against KP assembly move, says party leadership was not consulted
PESHAWAR:
Divisions have emerged in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s recent unanimous resolution calling for the creation of a separate Hazara province.
PTI MPA Sajjad Barkwal strongly opposed the move during an assembly session, accusing the party leadership of lacking consultation on the matter and vowing not to accept the division of the province.
Addressing the assembly, Barkwal described the proposed split of the KP as unacceptable, questioning whether the party’s supreme leader Imran Khan or the senior leadership had been taken into confidence. He expressed concern over the lack of transparency surrounding the resolution and asked who had initiated or approved it and why assembly members like himself were not aware of such a proposal on Hazara province.
Barkwal stressed that he and like-minded colleagues would not support the decision, highlighting concerns about the province’s integrity.
The resolution, passed unanimously in December 2025 and moved by PTI’s nazir Ahmad Abbasi with cross-party support including PPP members, urged the federal government to initiate constitutional amendments under Article 239 for a new Hazara province. It aimed to address long-standing demands based on cultural, historical and administrative grounds in the Hazara region.
The controversy unfolded during a wider assembly session chaired by Muhammad Israr, which covered several issues. Discussions focused heavily on local government challenges, including severe financial crises in local authority bodies (TMAs). PML-N MPA Amina Sardar singled out thousands of employees and pensioners who went unpaid due to lack of funds, forcing families into destitution. She criticized TMAs as hubs of corruption when staff lack incentives.
Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam responded that TMAs are autonomous and often administer their own salaries and pensions, with the provincial government providing subsidies where necessary, as Rs1.3 billion has been paid out so far. He acknowledged misuse of funds in some cases where grants were diverted from salaries to other heads. Alam also announced new leasing rules for council shops and properties, scrapped old notices and switched to market rate leasing to address low rental income.
Opposition members, including the ANP’s Arbab Usman, accused the 2022 amendment of diluting the powers of local representatives after the 2021 elections, leading to bureaucratic dominance and stunted development. Other points raised included delays in Public Service Commission appointments and calls for modern skills programs for women in addition to traditional crafts.
The minister agreed with the need to extend women’s empowerment to IT, nursing and modern sectors and referred the matter to a standing committee. Issues such as lapsed funds in social welfare, contract extensions and highway conditions were also deferred to committees for investigation.
The session began with Quran recitation and the national anthem, with question time on women’s development, social welfare, tax discipline and NFC awards. While the Hazara resolution sparked internal PTI friction, broader debates underscored ongoing governance and financial strains in the province’s local bodies.
