Govt urged to devise a comprehensive strategy on terrorism

QWP chief asks political parties, stakeholders, to make unified stance against terrorists

PESHAWAR: The government on Wednesday was urged to devise a strategy which would effectively tackle the menace of terrorism in the country.

This was stated by Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Sherpao during an election rally in Shabqadar area of Charsadda on Wednesday.

Sherpao, who has survived attacks as well, condemned the suicide blast in Yakatoot area of Peshawar late on Tuesday which claimed the lives of at least 21 people, including Awami National Party (ANP) leader and PK-78 candidate Haroon Ahmad Bilour.



The QWP chief expressed his condolences over the martyrdom of the ANP leader and provincial information secretary.

Sherpao said that terrorism had played havoc with the lives of the people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and the merged tribal areas.

He said it was the time that the government should devise a strategy to effectively tackle the menace.

Condemning the terrorist incident, he said that the people had lost a good political figure in the province.

Expressing his heartfelt sympathies with the families of the deceased and wounded people,.Sherpao said the bloodshed had also caused serious unrest amongst the people of Pakistan.

“It is need of the hour that all the political parties and stakeholders should jointly work to take a unified stand against terrorists in order to restore peace to ensure the safety of lives and properties of the people” he added.

He has expressed his concern over the recent terror incidents and said that it was the time that the government takes effective steps to control this menace and ensure that the lives of politicians are protected and are provided with a peaceful environment for smooth, transparent election campaigns.

Sherpao said that Pashtuns have rendered numerous sacrifices in the war against terrorism, both of lives and of material, but unfortunately no reward was paid to them for their sacrifices in the centre which further increased the sense of growing deprivation among them.

He vowed that the QWP will leave no stone unturned to address the grievances of the people of K-P.



Taking a swipe at past provincial governments, he said that K-P needed an honest leadership for its welfare that could steer the province out of its existing problems.

Sherpao expressed his grave concern over the unannounced and excessive load-shedding in parts of K-P.  He said that the outages in extreme weather made the lives of the people miserable.

He expressed his firm conviction that the QWP will fight for the rights of Pakhtuns and will raise its voice against the exploitation of the people of the province on every platform. 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2018.