PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has urged both Islamabad and New Delhi to resolve issues through dialogue and defuse the escalating tension on the border as war is no solution to disputes.

He was speaking at a press conference at the QWP’s secretariat here on Saturday. Party’s provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, information secretary Tariq Khan and former senator Haji Ghufran were also present on the occasion, as scores of political activists and councillors belonging to different parties led by PML-N Charsadda district senior vice-president Aurangzeb Khan joined QWP.

Aftab Sherpao said that India had escalated tension on the western border and blamed Pakistan for the Uri attack without any investigation in a bid to hide the violence and bloodshed carried out by its forces in the India-held Kashmir.

He said that both the states should resolve issues through diplomatic channels, adding that the entire world was witness to the violence on innocent Kashmiris by Indian forces where curfew had been clamped for the past over 70 days.

Sherpao asks centre to fulfil commitment on CPEC western route

The QWP chief said that the Pakistan Army, backed by the entire nation, had the capacity to respond to any challenge and it would not let India to sabotage China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

He also called for cordial diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan and suggested that the Afghan nationals living here should be given time so that they could wind up their businesses, complete their education and avail of medical facilities.

For this purpose, he said, the National Database and Registration Authority should register the non-registered Afghans so they could be given visas to avoid legal complications.

He said that he had apprised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the problems and the issues would be discussed in the cabinet meeting.

The QWP chairman urged the federal government to give Khyber Pakhtunkhwa its due rights in the national resources on the basis of its population to overcome poverty, unemployment and backwardness in the province. He also stated that a bill had been moved in the National Assembly for conducting census as it was the only way to provide the people with their due rights.

“The present state of affairs seems hopeless and peace in the region is becoming a dream. The solution lies with the federal government who has turned a deaf ear to the demands of the smaller federating units. QWP will make all efforts and fight on every forum for the rights of Pakhtuns,” he said and vowed that his party was determined to raise voice for solution of problems being faced by the KP people.

Mr Sherpao said that the federal government should fulfil its commitment regarding western route of CPEC and KP’s share in the multibillion dollars project. “The government should avoid using delaying tactics on the western route of CPEC and keep the people abreast of any development on the plan to remove unrest among Pakhtuns,” he said.

The QWP chief also called for immediate merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Area with KP for the sake of restoration of peace and carrying out development work in the tribal region.

He asked the government to constitute a commission for probing Panama leaks. About PTI’s Raiwind march, he said that every party had to carry out activities according to its own policies.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2016