Sherpao asks govt to evolve consensus on constitutional amendment

SWABI: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Tuesday questioned the haste the federal government was showing to bring the amendment to establish the constitutional court.

“The way the government is pushing the process to pass the amendment is not the right approach. The political forces have apprehensions so the government must address them first,” he said, questioning the timing of bringing the legislation.

He was speaking as chief guest at the condolence reference for QWP leader Mohammad Jamil Marghuz Advocate, who recently passed away in Swabi. Paying rich tributes to the deceased party leader, Aftab Sherpao said that being a committed and sincere politician Jamil Marghuz was an asset to QWP, who strived for the cause of democracy and rule of law.

Aftab Sherpao explained that though making the constitutional amendment was the prerogative of the Parliament, the government should have a debate on this issue to reach a consensus.

Commenting on the prevailing political situation in the country, the QWP leader remarked that the political instability the country was facing was happening by design. He believed that the establishment wanted the political forces be it the government or the opposition to be at its mercy.

Coming down hard on the PTI leaders for using public funds for staging protests, the QWP leader said the provincial government was least bothered to work for the welfare of the people and secure the rights of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He termed the recent disappearance of the chief minister a “drama” which did not serve any purpose.

He was also critical of the federal government’s tactics to deal with the protest of the PTI by placing containers on key roads in Islamabad, which created problems for people. The QWP leader did not approve of the ban imposed by the federal government on the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement and said it was a political issue and should be dealt with politically.

Aftab Sherpao also questioned the payment of capacity charges to the Independent Power Producers, saying the agreements reached with the IPPs were largely investor-friendly; therefore, the deals should be revisited at the earliest. “Nowhere in the world exists any such agreement under which payment is made to the non-functional IPPs,” he said.

He recalled that when he was the chief minister, he had given incentives to the industries in Gadoon Industrial Estate in Swabi to boost industrialization to create employment opportunities for the people. He said some elements did not want economic development in the Pakhtun-inhabited areas.