PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has warned that any further delay in finalising terms of reference for the commission to probe Panamagate will divert the government attention from the issues the country is facing.

He urged both the opposition and ruling parties to finalise the ToRs without delay.

This he said while speaking at a press conference at QWP secretariat here on Sunday.

On the occasion, PML-N Shangla district’s former president Haji Mohammad Zaman Khan, and party’s Lawyer Forum president Majidullah Advocate joined the QWP on the occasion.

Mr Sherpao said the Panama leaks issue had a very negative impact on the economy.

The QWP chief said the centre should not be ‘biased’ with the people of the smaller federating units, like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as it would weaken the federation.

While talking about Pak-Afghan relations, Mr Sherpao said killing of Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour had jeopardised the Quadrilateral Coordination Group’s peace initiative on Afghanistan. “To me, there is no ray of hope from QCG to help resolve the Afghan crisis following the killing of Mullah Mansour,” Mr Sherpao said.

The seasoned politician urged the government to take drastic steps for uplift of the people of Fata as they had suffered due to dislocation during the past several years.

Emphasising on the unity of Pakhtuns, Mr Sherpao said the entire nation was waiting for the report of the Fata Reforms Committee to decide fate of the people of Fata. He added that to make the voice of the Pakhtuns heard Fata should be merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Mr Sherpao also talked about the significance of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and said the Chinese government was intending to develop Pakistan’s remote areas through the multi-billion dollar mega project.

He said the government should focus on those areas which had been badly affected by terrorism and extremism by establishing economic zones and launching development projects there.

Expressing his concern over the government’s ‘lack of interest’ to develop terrorism-hit areas like Swat and Shangla, he said Malakand division should be included in the CPEC so the people could be compensated to some extent.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2016

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