The forgotten province: PML-N neglected K-P, says Sherpao

Regrets that the long standing issues of Pashtuns has been put on the back burner

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party Chairperson Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has expressed that in his opinion PML-N has taken a neglectful attitude toward smaller provinces. The neglect can be seen in the amount they were allocated in the federal budget. He added that the community suffering the most in this regard is the Pashtun community.

He was addressing a public gathering at village Regi, Peshawar. On this occasion prominent political figure Falak Niaz Khan announced his joining of QWP along with scores of supporters and family members.

He described the budget estimates as nonsense and accused the government of failing to provide any relief to the masses. He said that the government should have announced major initiatives to control the energy crises. Furthermore, he added that the smaller provinces particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were ignored in the fiscal plan presented by the federal government just so that the provinces would remain in the grip of crises. K-P and the tribal areas have been overlooked as no allocations have been made in the federal budget to compensate the militancy-affected people.

He regretted that the longstanding issues of Pashtuns had been put on the back burner, the years of neglect has intensified their sense of deprivation. Moreover, issues such as load shedding, the FATA-KP merger, CPEC, rehabilitation etc. had been ignored which aggravated their conditions. He lashed out at the Federal government of PML-N for having paid no attention to the Pashtuns’ problems which deepened their sense of deprivation and were no healthy sign for the federation.

He criticised the PTI-led government for its negative attitude towards the people of K-P. He expressed concern over PTI Chairperson Imran Khan’s disrespecting of other institutions which he believed to be a great insult to the power of the people’s vote as well. Sherpao added that the masses were the centre of power.

Sherpao argued that the provincial government of K-P has failed to deliver goods and questioned how a party that has failed to run a province can run an entire nation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2018.