PESHAWAR, April 7: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said that the Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) will continue its struggle for Pukhtun rights as they can play a vital role in national development.

He was talking to delegations from Allo, Qasmi, Dheri, Babuzai, Baizai Kharki, Katlang-II Shamozai, and Mian Essa union councils at the People’s House on Saturday.

The minister said the problems being faced by the Pukhtuns would be solved as their continued deprivation had perpetuated their woes.

He said the so-called nationalists had grabbed votes from the Pukhtuns through lofty slogans, but failed to materialise commitments to them.

He said the nationalists had increased problems of the people consequently giving rise to uncertainty amongst them.

Criticising the nationalists for garnering Pukhtun sympathies through hollow slogans, he said that the people had now identified their true colours.

He said the PPP-S had been pursuing politics on the basis of performance and it had genuinely represented aspirations of the downtrodden.

He said the Pukhtuns had found a moderate and development-oriented platform in the shape of PPP (Sherpao) which had been struggling for their welfare.

He said that the party had been pursuing practical and positive trends in order to redress their grievances.

He announced setting up of passport and Nadra offices in Mardan and formation of Utmankhel platoon in the Frontier Constabulary.

He said that efforts would soon be made for the stability of electricity supply system, provision of natural gas, construction of road, setting up of sub-post office in Pepal village and forming of mobile Nadra teams.

Former candidate provincial assembly Qimat Khan, Farooq Yousafzai advocate, Azeem Malik, Subedar Major Sahibzada (retd), Sadiq, Amin Gul Nasrullah, Abbas Khan, Ali Rehman, Haji Roohul Amin along with scores of supporters and families resigned from the Awami National Party, People’s Party Parliamentarians and Muttahidda Majlis-i-Amal and joined the PPP-S.