Iraq's Qarah Tabbah district upgrade sparks opposition
The federal decision to elevate Qarah Tabbah to district status in Iraq's Diyala province has drawn criticism from Kurdish lawmaker Karwan Yarwais, arguing that the move conflicts with constitutional provisions concerning disputed territories.
Speaking to Shafaq News, Yarwais confirmed that he submitted a formal memorandum to President Abdul Latif Rashid, warning that the upgrade could impact the demographic balance and administrative contours of Kurdish-majority areas.
'You are constitutionally obligated to safeguard these provisions,' he further urged the president.
The lawmaker, who represents Al-Sulaymaniyah, has since launched a campaign to mobilize parliamentary backing. The initiative—supported by 105 lawmakers, including leaders of several blocs—was later submitted by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to the Presidency, Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Ministry of Planning.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Planning confirmed that Deputy Prime Minister and Planning Minister Mohammed Ali Tamim approved the upgrade of Qarah Tabbah from a subdistrict to a district. The decision also brought the areas of Jabara, Koks, and Kullajo under the new jurisdiction. Qarah Tabbah was assigned the administrative code 2109, with Jabara and Koks designated as 21092 and 21093, respectively.
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