PESHAWAR, Aug 9: Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, chief of his own faction of PPP, has indirectly offered the politically-trapped Pakistan People’s Party to contest the forthcoming general elections from his party’s platform.
Speaking at the Peshawar Press Club’s Meet the Press programme here on Friday, he denied that he had any personality clash with PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto.
Mr Sherpao, referring to the PPP strategy, said they should have to follow in the steps of the PML (N) and save themselves from the present political dilemma and confusion.
A person could not simultaneously remain the member of two parties as the PPP had done by forming a parliamentarians group, which, at the same time, was an independent group and also subordinate to the main party, he said and clarified: “We are a party, not a group”.
Mr Sherpao said his party’s doors remained open for all those PPP workers who wanted to contest the forthcoming elections. “They must consider it as their own home. We will prefer them and give them party tickets”, he added.
The present political scenario, he said, demanded the all parties to either form alliances or make seat-to-seat adjustments as no party was in a position to win the polls independently.”We are also looking for a viable adjustment with some other political party”, he added.
The PPP (Sherpao), he said, had endorsed the positive steps taken by the government, but it was opposed to negative ones. It was the right of the parliament to amend the Constitution as there was a procedure to do so and his party would follow it. The elected representatives would be given the right to choose leader of the House, he expressed the hope.
He said his party preferred people’s problems and it would try to redress them by providing relief in utility charges and creating more employment opportunities.
The present government, he said, had increased power rates during its 30-month stay. POL prices were also raised monthly, which was unbearable for the salaried-class people, he added.
Autonomy to the provinces, he said, remained the second priority of his party. “The administrative autonomy does not mean provincial autonomy as the fiscal autonomy is an integral part of it. So provinces should be granted financial powers to launch uplift plans on their own”, he added.
He said the change of NWFP’s name had become a sentimental and symbolic matter for the people of province. Though the provincial assembly had adopted a resolution and renamed the Frontier province as Pukhtoonkhawa, it had not been given this name yet, he added.
He referred to the economic and social burden borne by Balochistan and the NWFP, and said that both the provinces had been hosting 30 million Afghan refugees for the last 23 years, which had caused a damaged to their economies and environments.
Both the provinces, he said, should be given financial aid or made a part of the Afghan reconstruction programme pledged by the western donor countries.
Mr Sherpao said the Pakhtoons were being considered as a minority group in Afghanistan where they had been in majority for centuries. Their massacre by a minority lingual group and US-led bombing had made them hostage in their own country, he added.
In reply to a question, Mr Sherpao said he did not believe in the anti or pro-establishment division of the political parties. Those who believed in the power of masses would win the elections, he added.
When asked whether his party would incorporate the Article 6 of the Constitution in his party manifesto, Mr Sherpao said he believed in the supremacy of the whole Constitution not in one or two articles.