Strategising polls: PPP-Sherpao set to unveil new party manifesto

Party to reinvent itself as Qaumi Watan Party; new flag also designed.

PESHAWAR:

Like other political outfits working to promote their agenda ahead of the upcoming general elections, the Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) is set to announce a new party manifesto. But unlike other parties, PPP-Sherpao is also attempting to reinvent itself under a new moniker and flag identity.

After months of consultation with party leaders from across the province and from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), the PPP-Sherpao’s central executive committee members have approved the name ‘Qaumi Watan Party’ (QWP) and a new manifesto toeing nationalistic lines. Though the central leadership of the party has yet to formally announce the new name of the party and manifesto.

Earlier, the party’s central executive committee members in a meeting handed PPP-S provincial president, Sikandar Sherpao the responsibility of coming up with suggestions for a party flag, design and colour. According to information obtained by The Express Tribune, the party flag will contain three colours--red, black and white (from left to right) and will be unveiled at a grand party convention where party leaders will formally announce the new name for the party.

Other names that were considered by the CEC included Pakhtunkhwa Olasi Party, Milli Watan Party, National Peoples Movement and Peoples National Movement but the party’s top leadership opted for QWP.

In a 12-page manifesto available with The Express Tribune, the party’s central executive committee members are seen as advocating 80% share for provinces in the National Finance Commission Award, resolving ethnic issues in Karachi through peaceful dialogue, carrying out reconstruction and rehabilitation in militancy-affected areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Fata as well as promoting education, agriculture and women’s rights. The party is also advocating a ‘new social contract’ with different peoples in the country on the basis of their ethnicity, language and culture.

Like the manifestos of other parties, the QWP also advocates friendly relations with other countries while laying special emphasis on relations with Afghanistan where the party believes bilateral trade should be made stronger. It also endorses ‘people to people’ and ‘government to government’ contacts and the use of Afghanistan as a conduit to reach the Central Asian market.

Though the party manifesto covers several issues that could help the party gain public support in the upcoming elections, it does not state how it intends to end the ongoing insurgency in the tribal belt though it advocates the establishment of a representative elected council for Fata and amendments in the Frontier Crimes Regulation.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2012.