CHARSADDA/PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday said the party believed in peaceful struggle for the people’s rights through a constitutional way.

Addressing a public meeting on the eve of the death anniversary of former MPA Alamzeb Umarzai Shaheed in Umarzai village of Charsadda, the QWP chairman said despite facing aggression and violence, the party leaders and workers made peaceful efforts to achieve political goals.

He paid tribute to the deceased for his services for the party.

Mr Sherpao said the QWP leaders and workers laid down their lives for the cause of the country but didn’t bow before the country’s enemies.

He said the QWP was not allowed free access to the people in the 2013 elections and thus, adversely affecting its poll campaign.

The QWP chairman said unfortunately, the time was wasted on Panamagate case to the misery of the Pakhtuns as their problems had been put on the backburner.

He said the sustainability of democracy would usher in a new era of progression and development.

QWP chief says time wasted on Panama case

“We won’t allow any move meant to damage the democratic process,” he said, adding that his party felt the holding of general elections on schedule would be instrumental for the durability of the national institutions.

Mr Sherpao said it was important to provide all federation units with due rights to strengthen federation.

He complained about the unannounced and excessive loadshedding in KP and said the federal government had taken only cosmetic measures to end power outages.

The QWP chairman said KP produced cheaper hydel electricity through own resources but it had been denied its fruits.

He also complained that the centre didn’t offer KP the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project’s benefits, including power facilities.

Meanwhile, the QWP has agreed to re-join All Fata Political Parties Alliance saying it will continue working for the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Area with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The agreement came during a meeting between QWP chairman Aftab Sherpao and a delegation of the All Fata Political Parties Alliance.

The delegation led by ANP leader Abdul Lateef Afridi visited Mr Sherpao’s house in Peshawar on Thursday evening and requested him to agree to his party’s rejoining of the alliance.

The representatives of Fata Lawyers Forum, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and National Party were also present on the occasion.

Few months ago, the QWP had asked its workers to stay away from the alliance’s activities over ‘some grievances’.

Mr Sherpao told visitors that the unity of Pakhtuns for the Fata-KP merger was the need of the hour.

He said all stakeholders should take a unified stand on the issue as the government didn’t take necessary action on Fata reforms after their approval by the federal cabinet.

The QWP chairman said the federal government continuously ignored Pakhtuns and therefore, all political parties irrespective of their ideologies should join hands to make a struggle for the early merger of Fata with KP for the prosperity of the local tribesmen.

He assured the visitors of his party’s full support for their cause.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2017