CHARSADDA: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has condemned the suicide blast in Yakatoot area of Peshawar on Tuesday night in which at least 20 persons, including ANP leader Haroon Bilour, were killed.

Addressing a public meeting in Shabqadar in connection with his election campaign on Wednesday, he expressed deepest sorrow over the killing of ANP leader.

He said terrorism had played havoc with the lives of people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata. He said it was time the government devised a strategy to effectively tackle the menace of terrorism.

Condemning the sorrowful incident, he said people of KP had lost a gentleman politician to the suicide attack. Expressing his heartfelt sympathies with the families of the deceased and wounded people, Mr Sherpao said the bloodshed had caused unrest among the people across the country.

“It is need of the hour that all political parties and stakeholders take a unified stand against terrorists in order to ensure safety of lives and properties of the people,” he said.

Mr Sherpao said it was the government’s duty to ensure protection of candidates so that they could conduct their election campaigns in a peaceful environment.

He said Pakhtuns had rendered numerous sacrifices in the war against terrorism but they were not rewarded which further increased the sense of deprivation.

He said QWP would leave no stone unturned to address the grievances of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, adding KP needed an honest leadership that could steer the province out of the existing problems.

Mr Sherpao also expressed concern over the unannounced and excessive power loadshedding in parts of KP, saying electricity outrages had made lives of people miserable in the hot weather.

He expressed his firm resolve that QWP would fight for the rights of Pakhtuns and would raise voice against exploitation of people of his province at every platform. He said his party would emerge as the only representative of Pakhtuns after the general elections.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018