PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday said the opposition parties had lent support to the federal government in order to strengthen democracy in the country but the latter never bothered to pay due attention to the core issues of small federating units and thus, aggravating the people’s sufferings.

Sherpao told a party meeting here that the QWP believed in strong democratic institutions and would continue supporting democracy in the country.

“Our party wants the Constitution to be upheld and the democratic system strengthened at all costs,” he said.

Sherpao says his party will continue backing democracy in country

The QWP leader said the government should realise its mistakes and take decisions in the best interests of the nation to address the people’s grievances without delay. He said the situation could have been averted, but mistakes were made by both sides (government, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek).

“We feel the issues should be resolved amicably in line with the Constitution,” he said.

Sherpao said smaller provinces felt deprived as the government didn’t focus attention on addressing their grievances. “There is a dire need to address the problems of the people of smaller federating units,” he said.

The QWP leader said terrorism had badly hit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as thousands of people were killed, injured and displaced, while infrastructure was destroyed.

“No step has been taken to resolve problems of Pakhtuns and even the government seems least interested in taking serious steps for the people’s welfare,” he said.

Sherpao said currently, hundreds of thousands of people lived in camps as IDPs due to military operations against militants and that the nation should forge unity at the critical juncture.

“We cannot afford political instability. We need to focus on addressing the challenges facing the nation today,” he said. The QWP leader said major issues had gone into the background due to the politics of agitation.

“The smaller provinces, particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have long been bearing the brunt of militancy. Their financial and administrative affairs are in straits,” he said.

Sherpao said it was the bad luck of Pakhtuns that neither the federal government was paying attention to their problems nor was the provincial government serious about and capable of addressing them.

He said it was time that rulers learn from their blunders and work for the people’s welfare.

The QWP leader said his party was the only representative of Pakhtuns and that it had a tangible plan for the people’s wellbeing.

Noted among those in attendance were QWP leaders Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, Justice (r) Shah Jehan Khan, Jamil advocate, Hashim Babar, Haji Ghufran, Asad Afridi, Kifayat Ali, Miraj Hamayun and Tariq Ahmad Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2014