KP-Fata merger to help address problems of tribal people

CHARSADDA: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) head Aftab Sherpao on Saturday expressed satisfaction over the stance of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa about the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said it was a goodwill gesture that the army leadership favoured the merger of Fata with KP.

He was addressing a public meeting after inspecting ongoing development schemes in Katozai Bala union council in Shabqadar.

Aftab Sherpao said that KP-Fata merger would help address the problems of the tribal people.

He praised General Bajwa for his suggestion to help reach consensus among all stakeholders on the proposed merger as per the wishes of tribal people.

“The tribespeople rendered enormous sacrifices in the war against terrorism, but unfortunately they were not treated equally, which is a great disservice,” he lamented.

He demanded the earlier merger of Fata with KP so that the tribal people could be given representation in the provincial assembly.

The former interior minister maintained that confrontation among state institutions was not good for the federation as he believed it could affect the timely general election.

He said that focus should be given to the preparations for the 2018 general election for the continuity of the democratic process and stability of the system.

He regretted that the consensus of the main political parties had been ignored in the delimitation procedure, which would badly affect the will of the political parties in the upcoming election.

He said the “untimely act” by the Election Commission of Pakistan was not in the interests of the country.

Aftab Sherpao accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of being involved in corruption. “[PTI Chairman] Imran Khan blames others for corruption, but his own ministers are involved in this practice,” he alleged.

Asking the National Accountability Bureau to thoroughly investigate the charges of corruption against PTI ministers to recover the looted wealth, he said the real face of the PTI leadership had been exposed.

“The people have seen what happened in the election for the Senate chairman and deputy chairman,” he sneered.