PESHAWAR: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) will strive to restore sustainable peace and work for the prosperity of Pukhtuns, said Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday while addressing a party gathering at Nishtar Hall to mark its second foundation day.
Sherpao said the QWP will raise its voice for the rights of Pukhtuns living across the world.
Speaking about the need to remove the sense of deprivation prevalent among residents of smaller provinces, Sherpao said, “Amendments should be made to the Constitution to make smaller provinces in charge of their own resources.”
The leader demanded that a separate province be made for Pukhtuns living across the country. “The QWP will strive to get various languages spoken by different ethnic groups in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) declared national languages,” he added.
Sherpao also demanded a fresh census in K-P and Fata, “Tangible steps should be taken to bring the tribal population into the mainstream,” he said.
According to Sherpao, K-P lags behind in all sectors even though it meets the energy requirements of other provinces. Therefore, he said K-P’s share in the National Finance Commission award should be increased to 80%.
Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led provincial government, Sherpao said the party was least bothered with providing relief to the people. “K-P is being used as a launching pad to gain political support in Punjab,” alleged Sherpao.
The internally displaced people from North Waziristan, who left their homes for the restoration of peace, are living in squalid conditions at camps, while target killers, extortionists and kidnappers are defiantly operating in the province, said the leader.
QWP K-P Chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao, General Secretary Hashim Babar, MPA Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Abdul Malik Khan Tordher and other party leaders were present at the gathering attended by a large number of activists.
QWP was formed in 2012 after it shed its previous name — Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao - and changed its manifesto, making the party Pukhtun-centric.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2014.
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I agree KPK are being infringed to the detriment of its people. Glad to know that QWP is raising a voice for Pashtuns when every other political party (including the one in charge in KPK) is playing politics for control of other areas of Pakistan. A truly sad state of affairs!