PPP seeks tehsil status for Bakote, plans formal request to KP governor
Abdul Khaliq Qureshi
Thursday, April 9, ABBOTTABAD- The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Abbottabad chapter has formally demanded tehsil status for Bakote circle and announced that it will submit a request to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor for an official notification, citing longstanding administrative neglect affecting more than 800,000 residents.
In a statement signed by PPP District President Syed Saleem Shah, the party announced that it had internally recognised Bakote as a tehsil, comprising eight union councils. The move, according to the party, responds to longstanding public demands for improved local governance and basic services in the region.
“This recognition is a long-awaited response to the cries of the people of Bakote, who have been deprived of basic administrative services for far too long,” Shah said.
Sardar Manzoor Mumtaz Abbasi, senior vice-president of PPP Abbottabad and a former National Assembly candidate, recalled past promises from PTI founder Imran Khan and former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to grant tehsil status to Bakote. However, these pledges were never followed through with an official notification.
“Despite repeated assurances from PTI and PML-N leaders, the people of Bakote continue to suffer. Our demand is based on population, geography and genuine administrative needs,” Abbasi said, pointing out that Bakote’s population surpasses that of Lora, which already holds tehsil status.
Iftekhar Tanoli, general secretary of PPP Abbottabad, said that the people of Bakote had been denied their rights for decades and reiterated the party’s full support for the elevation of the area. “Time is not far when Bakote will be officially declared a tehsil. PPP has always believed in empowering local communities through smaller administrative units,” Tanoli added.
Syed Saleem Shah further added that the party would formally request the governor to issue the tehsil notification and urged the government to begin construction of the Kohala-Boi road, emphasising its economic, touristic and strategic importance for Bakote’s union councils.
“This is not just a political gesture. It is a moral obligation to ensure fair representation and administrative autonomy for the people of Bakote,” Shah said.
Estimating Bakote’s population at around one million, Shah argued that, with eight union councils and sustained demographic growth, the region meets the criteria for tehsil status.
“By officially recognising Bakote as a tehsil, PPP aims to ensure that this historically underserved area finally receives the attention and resources it deserves,” Shah concluded.
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