PML-N Revives Hazara Province Movement as Sardar Yousaf Rallies Parties

Federal Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf convened a high-level multi-party summit in September 2026 to spearhead the creation of Hazara Province, building a unified political front to amend Pakistan's Constitution. The initiative aims to carve out the Hindko-speaking Hazara division from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, addressing administrative, linguistic, and financial grievances rooted in decades of provincial imbalance.

Re-Engineering the Map: Sardar Yousaf’s Multi-Party Strategy

Stepping into the national spotlight from Abbottabad, Federal Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf declared that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will not pursue the Hazara province demand as a single-party initiative. Instead, the veteran politician convened representatives from across the political spectrum—including factions traditionally opposed to administrative re-demarcation—to draft a consensus strategy for constitutional reform.

Addressing party leaders and civic representatives, Yousaf emphasized that administrative units must reflect population growth, economic management, and local cultural identities. The Hazara division—comprising Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Battagram, Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, and Kolai-Palas—houses nearly six million residents who currently must travel hundreds of kilometers across mountain terrain to reach the provincial capital in Peshawar for routine administrative approvals.

By initiating this campaign, PML-N seeks to build a coalition capable of satisfying the steep legal bar for establishing a new province.

From April 2010 Violence to Constitutional Roadblocks

The demand for a separate Hazara province is soaked in historical memory. On April 12, 2010, the region exploded in violence following the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which officially renamed the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Local populations in Hazara, predominantly Hindko speakers, rejected the Pashtun-centric nomenclature, sparking street protests in Abbottabad that resulted in ten deaths when security forces opened fire.

Sixteen years later, the emotional scars remain, but the political calculus requires navigating strict constitutional machinery. Article 239 of the Constitution of Pakistan sets a formidable threshold for altering provincial boundaries:

• A bill must pass both the National Assembly and the Senate by a two-thirds majority.
• The resolution must then pass the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by a two-thirds majority of its total membership.

Given the current political divide in the KP Assembly, where the ruling provincial administration fiercely protects provincial territorial integrity, Yousaf’s primary challenge lies in convincing regional lawmakers that decentralization benefits the entire federation.

Economic Powerhouse: Hydropower, CPEC, and Revenue Disparities

Proponents of Hazara Province base their case on fiscal self-sufficiency rather than mere ethnic identity. The Hazara region generates a disproportionate share of Pakistan's renewable energy and tourism revenues, yet local leaders argue that federal and provincial allocations return only a fraction of those yields.

The region hosts critical national infrastructure assets:

• Hydropower Infrastructure: The Tarbela Dam in Haripur produces up to 4,888 MW of electricity, while the under-construction 4,320 MW Dasu Hydropower Project sits in Kohistan. Together, these installations supply billions of kilowatt-hours to the national grid.
• CPEC Trade Corridor: The Karakoram Highway and the Phase-II alignments of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor pass directly through Hazara, positioning Havelian as a central logistics dry port.
• Tourism Revenue: Destinations like the Kaghan Valley, Naran, Nathia Gali, and Lake Saiful Muluk draw millions of domestic visitors annually, generating substantial commercial tax revenues.

Local advocacy groups estimate that Hazara contributes over 30 percent of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s revenue base while receiving less than 12 percent of the provincial development budget. Splitting the region into a distinct administrative unit would grant direct federal fiscal transfers under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, bypassing Peshawar’s bureaucracy altogether.

The Road Ahead: Building Parliamentary Consensus

Sardar Yousaf's cross-party committee plans to draft a formal legislative proposal for introduction in the National Assembly. While previous resolutions passed the KP Assembly in 2014 under non-binding terms, the current push seeks binding constitutional amendments supported by major parliamentarians from Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan.

As political party delegates establish local working committees across Abbottabad, Haripur, and Mansehra, the initiative tests whether Pakistan’s political leadership can deliver structural administrative reform through peaceful legislative action rather than executive impulse.

Frequently Asked Questions

What constitutional majority is required to create Hazara Province?

Creating Hazara Province requires a two-thirds majority vote in both the National Assembly and the Senate under Article 239 of Pakistan's Constitution. Furthermore, Article 239(4) mandates that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly must also approve the territorial boundary change by a two-thirds majority.

Why did the popular movement for Hazara Province intensify in April 2010?

The movement intensified after the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment in April 2010, which renamed the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Widespread protests erupted in Abbottabad among the non-Pashtun Hindko population over identity concerns, resulting in the violent death of 10 demonstrators.

Which major economic assets are located within the proposed Hazara Province?

The proposed Hazara region houses key national assets including the Tarbela Dam, the under-construction Dasu Hydropower Project, primary overland CPEC routes near Havelian, and high-revenue tourism sectors across Kaghan, Naran, and Abbottabad.