Sherpao urges Centre, KP government to collaborate for peace

PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday urged the federal and provincial governments to collaborate in addressing the deteriorating law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Talking to reporters at a hotel here, he said that the security situation in the province was worsening day by day.He maintained that the federal government should help Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to improve law and order. “Poor governance coupled with bad law and order has multiplied the challenges facing the province,” he said.The QWP chief said political polarisation and instability had overshadowed key issues facing the country.

Expressing his concern over the growing lawlessness, he said that law and order in Kurram, Bajaur, Swat and other areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was not satisfactory. He pointed out that the Chinese government had asked its citizens not to visit Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without prior permission, which spoke volumes about the security situation in the province.

Aftab Sherpao said he had highlighted the problems facing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the all-parties conference (APC) convened by the governor. He added that the provincial government should have attended the APC. “We wanted the PTI leaders to attend the moot, but they did not show up,” he added.

The QWP leader said the PTI had been ruling the province, but had been unable to work for the provincial rights or take steps to tackle lawlessness.He noted that the situation in Kurram was volatile and urged the government to handle it carefully. He mentioned that, for the first time, women were kidnapped during clashes in Kurram.

He also expressed concern over the racial profiling of the Pakhtuns in Islamabad, stating that some quarters were exploiting the situation to their advantage. He sympathized with the families of those who lost their lives on both sides during the PTI’s Islamabad protest.

He urged the government to compensate the families of those killed in acts of subversion in the province. Calling for holding a grand national dialogue, he said political instability was hurting the country and urged politicians to set aside their differences to steer the country towards progress and development.