Asfand thanks PPP for renaming NWFP province

[UnitedPak]

Asfand thanks PPP for renaming NWFP province

ISLAMABAD: Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan on Saturday thanked the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) for considering renaming the NWFP province Pakhtoonkhwa.

Talking to Geo News he said, "I am thankful to the PPP, especially Asif Ali Zardari for giving us our identity by considering changing the name of the province."

He said that it had been a longstanding demand of the people of the province and recalled that the provincial assembly had already passed a resolution in this regard. He expressed the hope that the proposed constitutional package would make the federation and democratic institutions stronger.

Responding to a question regarding the tenure of the chief justice, he said, "We are aware of the issue since the ANP was consulted." app

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan


What do guys think about this renaming. I know that Frontier province is not Pashtun only so it might cause friction, but lets see what happens.

 

[BATMAN]

How about thanking for delivering promises made to the masses during election campaign!!

Forex reserves are halved Pak rupee is devalued to its record low against Euro!
All mega development projects have come to halt!
Rubber stamp parliament, takes dictation from an criminal who himself takes dictation from US and India!
State laws are being modified to accomodate one person, and that too without the approval of parliament!
the top priority of judiciary is to attend to the cases of a single man and declare them onesided!
They better start looking for a scape goat because they have to blame some one for their eventual failure.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I think that any amendment in the constitution should reference some sort of referendum on the name change, rather than simply incorporating the name the PPP's Pakhtun nationalist allies want.

Many Pakhtun I have talked to abroad don't really like, or are ambivalent to the idea of changing the name.

Going through a referendum at least legitimizes the process a bit for everyone who resides in the NWFP, not just the Pashtun.

I would rather have seen a division of Punjab into two or three provinces in this constitutional package, and I say that as someone from Punjab.

 

[Flintlock]

I think naming the province according to the linguistic/ethnic group is a good idea. It gives the people their identity back.

In India, most states are named either according to language, ethnicity, or their historical name.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I think naming the province according to the linguistic/ethnic group is a good idea. It gives the people their identity back.

In India, most states are named either according to language, ethnicity, or their historical name.

Its a good idea if the people of the province/State want it, and hence the suggestion of linking any name change to a referendum. As far as I know, multiple names have been proposed, each with its own merits and supporters, and merely changing the name like this might not go down well with those who would have wanted an alternative name.

Who knows, maybe the alternate names have a majority or plurality of support.

 

[fatman17]

Telegraph.co.uk, News, Sport, Business

Pakistan renames North West Frontier Province to end 'colonial anachronism'

By Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad

Last Updated:26/05/2008

Pakistan is to rename its North West Frontier Province because it is a "British colonial anachronism".

The government will pass a constitutional amendment in parliament next month.

The ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has approved a new name for the province, Pukhtunkhwa, at the behest of its coalition partner, the Awami National Party (ANP), which governs the province.

"Sixty years after independence our demand will be met," said Zahid Khan, a leader of the ANP, a party founded on the principles of Abdul Ghaffar Khan who was dubbed the "Frontier Gandhi" due to his peaceful opposition to colonial rule.

"The name is a British colonial anachronism. The change will be very good for us," he added.

The North West Frontier was fixed in the British firmament at the turn of the last century when "soldier sahibs" struggled to subdue its bellicose Pukhtun (or Pashtun) tribes.

The Frontier, the precursor to NWFP, carved out of Afghan territory, several mountain kingdoms and the vale of Peshawar, was brought under British control by a group of young soldier-administrators by force and guile.

Winston Churchill, who reported on a frontier military expedition for The Daily Telegraph in 1897, noted: "Every rock, every hill has its story."

Opponents of the current name believe that it has lost its geographical significance as it was coined when the British Raj's capital was 1,500 miles south-east of Peshawar at Calcutta.

The change to Pukhtunkhwa, "land of the Pukhtun", will restore the name used for the land by local poets. But it is opposed by the province's non-Pukhtun ethnic minorities, such as Chitralis and Hazara.

"The name sounds alien to Chitralis. It sticks in their throat," said Sirajuddin ul-Mulk, a scion of Chitral's former ruling family. "NWFP is not controversial name, it is just the points of the compass," he added.

Arbab Khan, a Peshawar dignitary, noted wryly that the name should be changed to "Curzonistan". Lord Curzon, the viceroy of India, created the province by removing it from the Punjab's administration in 1901.

 

[Awaaz]

Its a good idea if the people of the province/State want it, and hence the suggestion of linking any name change to a referendum. As far as I know, multiple names have been proposed, each with its own merits and supporters, and merely changing the name like this might not go down well with those who would have wanted an alternative name.

Who knows, maybe the alternate names have a majority or plurality of support.

Yes indeed its a good idea to have a referendum and allow the natives to choose a name of their choice, i would prefer the nwfp to be named afghania, how ever others may have different opinions.

Bit either way non natives such as rest of pakistanis should mind their own business and allow the people of sarhad to choose their own path.

 

[mujahideen]

Yes indeed its a good idea to have a referendum and allow the natives to choose a name of their choice, i would prefer the nwfp to be named afghania, how ever others may have different opinions.
Bit either way non natives such as rest of pakistanis should mind their own business and allow the people of sarhad to choose their own path.

The name Afghania is totally out of the question. Its like saying Afghanistan Junior. All I know is that if th name is changed it should not by any means be named after the people's ethnicity. Non of Pakistan provinces are named based on ethnicity and niether should this province.

 

[Flintlock]

The name Afghania is totally out of the question. Its like saying Afghanistan Junior. All I know is that if th name is changed it should not by any means be named after the people's ethnicity. Non of Pakistan provinces are named based on ethnicity and niether should this province.

Really? Punjab is named by ethnicity and language, so is Sindh.

Both Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab are named Punjab. It doesn't seem to be causing any problems.

 

[ddrbdgzy]

it is difficult for me to understand, perhaps this article describe renaming of a province of pakistan . i am sorry my english is not very good.

 

[Moin91]

I personally dont like this name "Pakhtoonkhwa"......
it should be "Pakhtoonistan"

what is your opinion guyz???

 

[Interceptor]

I think that any amendment in the constitution should reference some sort of referendum on the name change, rather than simply incorporating the name the PPP's Pakhtun nationalist allies want.

Many Pakhtun I have talked to abroad don't really like, or are ambivalent to the idea of changing the name.

Going through a referendum at least legitimizes the process a bit for everyone who resides in the NWFP, not just the Pashtun.

I would rather have seen a division of Punjab into two or three provinces in this constitutional package, and I say that as someone from Punjab.

AM the article's title is bias, maybe you miss interpreted from there on? The constitutional package will be sent to the "Parliment," which is the vioce of the people of all provinces, it therefore establishes the referendum of the country. Is the "Parliment" not supreme? If we oppose and impose others ideolgy on the NWFP than we are no different to Musharraf.

The NWFP has given their mandate to the ANP plus the name change was on the agenda for many years AM, it was not possible to change due to the sudden change of governments and therfore was set a side.

In the UK the many Pakthun I know are extatic about the change, I really like it.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Yes indeed its a good idea to have a referendum and allow the natives to choose a name of their choice, i would prefer the nwfp to be named afghania, how ever others may have different opinions.

Bit either way non natives such as rest of pakistanis should mind their own business and allow the people of sarhad to choose their own path.

AM the article's title is bias, maybe you miss interpreted from there on? The constitutional package will be sent to the "Parliment," which is the vioce of the people of all provinces, it therefore establishes the referendum of the country. Is the "Parliment" not supreme? If we oppose and impose others ideolgy on the NWFP than we are no different to Musharraf.

The NWFP has given their mandate to the ANP plus the name change was on the agenda for many years AM, it was not possible to change due to the sudden change of governments and therfore was set a side.

In the UK the many Pakthun I know are extatic about the change, I really like it.

Interceptor does have a somewhat valid point. However I would argue that political parties run on a variety of issues, and people vote for their representatives based on what issues they hold dearest. I would argue that in the NWFP in this election the paramount issues were terrorism, economy and anti-Musharraf sentiment, not the name change, though I am sure that many people may have like that idea as well.

In a situation such as that, and on an issue that has multiple viewpoints, it makes sense, IMO, to hold a referendum on the possible list of names that exists.

Awaaz:

It is indeed only the right of the residents of the NWFP to determine whether they want their province to be renamed and what they want it to be renamed to.

It is not, however, the right of the people of any part of Pakistan to tell any other Pakistani what they can and cannot discuss.

As of now I am not aware of any party outside the NWFP that has asked to be given a voice in the name-change process, so your comment above comes across as quite rude.

 

[mujahideen]

Really? Punjab is named by ethnicity and language, so is Sindh.
Both Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab are named Punjab. It doesn't seem to be causing any problems.

No you are totally wrong. Punjab means land of five rivers, thus the inhabitants became Punjabis. Sindh came from the word Sindhu meaning land by the sea, and the people liveing their became Sindhi.

 

[Flintlock]

No you are totally wrong. Punjab means land of five rivers, thus the inhabitants became Punjabis. Sindh came from the word Sindhu meaning land by the sea, and the people liveing their became Sindhi.

Obviously, all Proper Names were derived from something. Hindus don't think about the Indus river when the refer to themselves as such.

I'm sure that the people of Punjab and Sindh weren't refering to the Five rivers and the sea when they named their provinces.


At the time of independence, they were named on the basis of the Punjabis and Sindhis residing there.

Same applies to Balochistan and "Azad" Kashmir.

So why give the people of NWFP such a demeaning name? As if they are a perpetual "Frontier" in some neverending war?