Sema
Iraqi lawmaker Mahma Khalil said on Sunday that following the official recognition of Halabja as a province, efforts will now shift to promoting Sinjar’s elevation to governorate status in the Iraqi parliament.
“After the governorship of Halabja, every effort will be made to start the procedures for the governorship of Sinjar in the Iraqi parliament,”
Khalil, who previously served as governor of Sinjar, confirmed that a formal project to designate Sinjar as a province is underway and has gained traction within the legislature. He said Sinjar is ready for this administrative upgrade and emphasized the need for political and legal support from Baghdad.
The people of Sinjar have repeatedly demanded provincial status and have expressed a desire to be part of the Kurdistan Region. In the 2017 Kurdistan independence referendum, more than 90% of voters in Sinjar supported secession from Iraq.
The remarks come just days after the Iraqi parliament officially approved Halabja as a province, marking a historic milestone for the Kurdish region. The decision passed during a special session of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, with strong backing from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and other Kurdish factions.
“After much anticipation and direct efforts by our leader President Barzani, along with persistent requests from our party and support from other Kurdish factions, we are delighted that the draft law for recognizing Halabja as a governorate has been approved,” said Meriwan Qarani, Deputy Head of the KDP faction.
Halabja’s new status is widely seen as a recognition of its historical suffering, particularly the 1988 chemical attack by Saddam Hussein’s regime that claimed thousands of lives and became a global symbol of Kurdish resilience.
Sinjar, too, has endured tragedy—most notably the 2014 ISIS genocide against the Yezidis—and many believe provincial status would provide greater administrative autonomy and resources for recovery and development.