PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party has claimed that some elements are conspiring against merger of former Fata with the province and asked the government to implement the recommendations of Sartaj Aziz Committee to remove the sense of frustration among the local people.

Speaking at a press conference after chairing a party meeting here on Monday, QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao said that government was dragging its feet to provide health, education and other facilities to the residents of tribal districts that caused unrest among the local people.

“The non-provision of facilities to the dwellers of merged districts is causing despondency among them and the anti-merger elements are creating an impression that the people did not want the merger of former Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

The QWP leader said that implementation of the recommendations of Sartaj Aziz Committee would help to remove the sense of frustration among the local people.

Sikandar Sherpao wants recommendations of Sartaj Aziz panel enforced

He added that the merger was a historic decision to mainstream the former tribal areas.

Flanked by QWP provincial senior vice chairman Tariq Ahmad Khan, vice chairperson Dr Faiza Rasheed, Asad Afridi and others, he said that the PTI government could not secure the rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite tall claims.

The QWP provincial chief said that government placed many key issues including National Finance Commission award and Net Hydel Profit arrears on the backburner.

He said that growing problems proved that government failed to overcome the issues of price hike and unemployment. About increase in price of medicines by over 200 per cent, he said that government wanted to snatch the “right to life” from the poor.

He warned the government against introduction of the presidential form of government and said that such efforts could not succeed in the past.

He alleged National Accountability Bureau started selective accountability and it was reluctant to probe irregularities in BRT project.

The QWP leader demanded of the government to revisit its foreign policy as the rulers could not garner international support for the Kashmir issue.

He also warned the government against making a hasty decision about the status of Gilgit-Baltistan. Condemning the arrest of PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif he said that NAB was being used to harass the leaders of opposition parties.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2020