Post suicide attack: Sherpao attends first major public gathering

Vows to never back down from fighting for Pukhtuns.

SHABQADAR:

Days after narrowly escaping yet another attack on his life in Charsadda, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairperson Aftab Ahmad Sherpao made his way back to the district on Sunday to address his first major public gathering after the blast.

Due to the threat to his life, Sherpao’s participation in the gathering held at former MPA Babar Ali Khan’s hujra in Haleemzai, Shabqadar was kept under wraps till the last minute.

“Those who want to deprive Pukhtuns of their rights wish to keep me confined to my house by targeting me, but I will not let that happen,” said Sherpao to enthusiastic applause from nearly a thousand QWP workers who had arrived from across the district to see their leader.

He said there were two forces in the country, one which wants to destabilise Pakistan through bombs blasts, extortion, target killing and destruction of schools, while the other force wants stability, peace and progress. “We are the force of peace which is why anti-state elements are targeting us. But let me make it clear, we will fight and never back down from being part of the public,” said Sherpao.

According to the QWP chief, some of his friends advised him to refrain from attending public gatherings. But he said if he did that, the agenda of anti-state forces would be fulfilled. “Some leaders go into hiding after such attacks, but I will not be threatened and will fulfil my promises to QWP Shabqadar workers,” he said.



Sherpao further said that QWP was fighting for the rights of Pukhtuns and wants peace in their lands in Pakistan and Afghanistan. “Pukhtuns have been left behind in the developed world, now it is time to take them forward,” he said. Speaking about the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Sherpao said his party wants peace to be established in the region.

Taking a jibe at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Sherpao said other parties were deliberately kept away from their workers during the general elections in 2013, while PTI was given a “free hand”. “Today, PTI lawmakers are fighting over party tickets for their family members and have transferred all development funds to Nowshera, while other areas remain backward,” said the leader.

The federal government was also not spared as Sherpao criticised it for excessive load-shedding in Shabqadar tehsil. He said if the government fails to secure the locals’ rights, the electricity supply to Punjab would be disconnected by force.

The leader also announced Rs200 million to initiate a gas supply project in his constituency NA-8 and said funds from the project will also be utilised in PK-22. Sherpao’s son MPA Sikandar Hayat Sherpao also addressed the gathering and criticised the Punjab government over proposed changes in the Pak-China trade corridor.

MPA Arshad Umerzai and former MPA Babar Ali Khan also spoke on the occasion. A large number of police personnel were deployed to prevent any untoward situation.

On April 30, a suicide bomber struck Aftab Ahmad Sherpao’s convoy minutes after he had left a public gathering in Umerzai. A policeman and another person were killed in the attack, while the leader survived.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2015.