CHARSADDA: Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan has said that merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is need of the hour and the federal government should not delay this process.

Addressing workers convention here on Saturday, he said that opposition to the Fata-KP merger by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Mehmood Khan Achakzai had caused an irreparable loss to the unity of Pakhtuns.

He said that the merger of Fata with the province could create more complex issues and urged the government to expedite the reform process. He said that late Bacha Khan wanted identity of Pakhtuns and the ANP had fulfilled his dream. He warned against rolling back the 18th Amendment.

The ANP chief said that Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had expressed reservations about the performance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in the education and health sectors. Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, he said that the champion of so-called change had nothing to do with the progress and development of the province. He said that the situation in the province had deteriorated due to wrong policies of PTI.

Mr Asfandyar said that Imran Khan had issued show-cause notices to 20 MPAs, but he did not gather courage to expose the names of people who bought the loyalties of lawmakers in the Senate elections.

He also criticised Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and alleged that he was also involved in various scandals. Former minister Barrister Arshad Abdullah also spoke on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018