PESHAWAR, Dec 28: Chief of his own faction of Pakistan People’s Party Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has held the ANP-led provincial government responsible for deteriorating law and order situation in the region.
“The Awami National Party had announced during its election campaign that it would ask the federal government to halt the military operation in Swat if it wins the polls, but the operation has further intensified,” said Sherpao, while talking to delegations here at the People’s House on Sunday. He said the stepped-up terrorist activities in the province were the outcome of the ‘ill-directed’ policies of the ANP government.
Mr Sherpao deplored that the provincial government had done nothing towards improving the law and order situation despite in power for nine months. He said his party did not want to do politics on the law and order problem and wanted all Pakhtuns to unite on one platform to stop bloodshed and violence in the province.
The PPP-S chief alleged that innocent Pakhtuns were being killed and wounded in Swat, Bajaur, Mohmand, Waziristan and other areas in the military operations.
He said due to drone attacks carried out by the US, thousands of tribal people had left their homes for safer places. He called for a coherent plan to stem the tide of terrorism and normalise the existing chaotic situation in the province.
He said the situation faced by the country warranted immediate attention, adding, India was hurling warnings at us in the wake of the Mumbai attacks while the US, Israel and Afghanistan were also leveling accusations against Pakistan without any proof.
“This is our country and we'll make sacrifices for it. If they (the ruling parties) cannot take care of it they should hand it over to us,” he said.
PPP-S provincial president and MPA Sikandar Hayat Sherpao claimed that the PPP-S was the only party that could solve the problems of Pakhtuns and give them right status in the society. He said the ANP-PPP coalition had not yet solved a single problem of Pakhtuns in its nine-month rule.
Mr Sikandar said the ANP got a public mandate that it would restore peace but it had failed to honour its mandate. “There is no peace and problems of Pakhtuns whether they are here in the province or in Karachi, are growing due to the wrong policies of the ANP,” said the PPP-S leader.
Another party MPA Mohammad Ali Khan, speaking on the occasion, also criticised the ANP policies, saying it had done nothing to restore peace to the province.