Zebari credits President Barzani for Halabja Province push
Shafaq News/ On Monday, senior KDP figure Hoshyar Zebari revealed that Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani spearheaded the push to establish Halabja as a province over a decade ago, launching the proposal during his tenure as the Region's Prime Minister.
مبروك لاهالي حلبچه الجريحة وللعراق و شعب الاقليم تصويت البرلمان على استحداث محافظة حلبچه. و للتاريخ عرضنا طلب رئيس حكومة الاقليم نيجيرفان بارزاني فيي عام2013 / 2014 خلال ولاية السيد المالكي على اجتماع محلس الوزراء والذي ترأسة د حسين شهرستاني للموافقة المبدئية على الطلب .
— Hoshyar Zebari (@HoshyarZebari) April 14, 2025
Zebari said that Barzani submitted the proposal in 2013 and 2014 to Iraq’s Council of Ministers, during Nouri al-Maliki’s government and under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani.
The cabinet granted initial approval, setting the plan in motion. Shafaq News has published a copy of the official letter issued by Barzani at the time, which calls for the creation of Halabja province and requests that the matter be referred to the Iraqi parliament for a formal vote.
On Monday, the Iraqi Parliament voted to declare Halabja as Iraq’s 19th province, ending years of political deadlock that had blocked the file from reaching parliament.
President Barzani hailed the decision, saying Baghdad had finalized the Kurdistan Region’s long-standing efforts to secure the city’s recognition.
