Terrorism can only be addressed via joint efforts: Sherpao

Qaumi Watan Party Chairman was addressing the fifth foundation day of the party in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The fresh wave of terrorism sweeping Afghanistan and Pakistan has put the stability of the entire region at stake and requires mutual cooperation to resolve.

This was stated by Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao while addressing the fifth foundation day of the party on Dalazak Road in Peshawar on Sunday.

He said that the growing trend of extremism was detrimental to the progress and stability of the region.

The only way to tackle it, he said, was through mutual cooperation by improving cooperation and relations between the Kabul and Islamabad

For this, cognitive measures must be taken to proactively enhance stability and to weed out the menace of extremism from society.

Referring to Washington’s recent Afghanistan strategy, he said termed it as reactive since Pakistan was never taken on board. He said that the strategy in its current form would destroy the balance of power in the region, which may open the floodgates for further instability and turmoil.

He urged the Pentagon to revisit its policy in Afghanistan, remove the flaws and evolve a proactive policy with input from Pakistan.Sherpao further lamented the delaying tactics employed by the government over the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). He warned that putting the merger on the backburner would further increase the sense of deprivation among the tribal people.

Reiterating that the people of Fata had rendered enormous sacrifices for the stability and protection of Pakistan, Sherpao said that their sacrifices were being ignored by the centre by deliberately depriving it of rewards.

Calling the residents of Fata “equal citizens of Pakistan”, the QWP chairman asked why were they being denied their right to an equal status, as he reminded that their party had been demanding a merger since day one.

He demanded that the frontier crimes regulation — a black law for the tribal people — in Fata should be abolished immediately. Sherpao said that an independent and strong parliament can resolve all problems faced by the people and that the parliament should play its due role in this context as well, warning that any tussle between institutions would undermine the entire system.

The QWP chief also took pot shots at the provincial government, accusing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of failing to deliver in the province.  Without naming them, Sherpao said that the ruling party had been crying hoarse about creating a new K-P but has failed to bring about any tangible change in the lives of the public especially in the health and education sectors where it has done little more than offer lip service.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2017.