'Welcome to Hazara province'

ISLAMABAD Like any other state of the less-developed peripheral origin, the stark line of demarcation between 'haves and have nots is a longstanding attribute of Pakistans socio-political diaspora. Often it so happens that the ideologies and interests of the people that are necessitated by their struggle for survival collide with the endless luxurious desires of the ruling elite. While the provincial regime of Khyber Pakhtunhkhwa and their 'mentors at the centre are making tall yet evasive claims, for the redressal of Hazara crisis, the 7.5 million people of Hazara deem it worthy not to buy rulers stance. They are least concerned if it takes a parliamentary amendment or an executive order, unanimous consensus or a new legislation for the Hazara province to surface on the worlds map. For them, the province of Hazara has come into formation and it requires no material or verbal evidence. From Haripur to Kohistan, dozens of signboards welcome the visitors on behalf of Hazara province. The fact that no administrative machinery, local government or provincial regime can dare remove these signboards is itself a manifestation of the charged air that runs in Hazara region. One such signboard placed at Ghazi, a Tehsil of District Haripur, is installed next to police check post. The police officials deputed at the picket say that they cannot remove the signboard on account of negative public fallout. We cant dare dislodge these hoardings because if we do so, people would set this picket ablaze, one senior police official tells TheNation. Quaid-e-Tehreek-e-Hazara Sardar Haider Zaman asks in challenging tone, Who would remove these boards? The Chief Minister Hoti whom the people deem as major culprit in April 12 killings? The one who had to flee from Abbottabad during his last visit? Central senior leader Tehreek-e-Hazara Gohar Ayub Khan says a signboard of Hazara province would be set up at Garhi Habibullah, a Tehsil that segregates Hazara with Azad Jammu Kashmir. Another signboard would be placed in Basham, another Tehsil that borders Hazara and Gilgit-Baltistan. Masses have moved the local courts the other day with the applications to nominate Chief Minister KP Ameer Haier Khan Hoti as prime convict in April 12 killings. Last month, the victim families moved Supreme Court for suo moto action against the infamous incident. People want immediate justice, they moved local courts and they moved SC. Everybody knows it was this CM who had ordered the April 12 killings. The victims families are not ready to forgive him thats why they refused to get compensation cheques, Gohar Ayub Khan adds. There might be some superficial hitches involved in the formation of Hazara province including those of apathy of ruling elites, power politics, and pursuit of vested interests but irrespective of these superficialities, the message of Hazarawals resonates loud and clear. The rulers have to grow out of their slumber and wake up to the public call before things slip out of their hands.