PESHAWAR, March 16: The provincial chief of the Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao), Pervez Khan Khattak, has underlined the need for evolving a national consensus before embarking on mega projects like the Kalabagh dam. He said his party’s stand was that before constructing the Kalabagh dam consensus of all the federating units was a pre-requisite. Speaking to a gathering at village Baja Bamkhel in district Swabi on Wednesday, he said the country direly needed water reservoirs to avert any water crisis in future, but any such project should be made contingent upon the national consensus.

On the occasion, the nazim of the union council Jhanda, Sarwar Khan, along with his supporters announced joining the PPP. Mr Khattak said the party was being reorganized all over the province and workers had a say in party affairs.

The workers, he said, were the real asset of the party and their opinion would be honoured. Speaking on the occasion, the party’s provincial general secretary, Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, claimed that all political parties, including the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, had lost the confidence of the people because their policies had failed to redress their grievances.

He said the PPP was the only ray of hope for the oppressed people and would play its role to resolve their problems. The party, he added, had always struggled for national stability and promotion of democratic institutions.