QWP chief warns Centre against ignoring Pakhtuns

PESHAWAR: The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) head Aftab Sherpao on Saturday warned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML (N)-led federal government against its step-motherly attitude towards smaller provinces.

He maintained that the unjust distribution of financial resources from the federal divisible pool would damage the federation. “The PML-N government should stop rubbing salt into the wounds of the Pakhtuns,” he said while addressing a public gathering at Regi village on the outskirts of the provincial capital.

Political activist Falak Niaz Khan announced joining the QWP along with scores of supporters and family members on the occasion.

Aftab Sherpao described the budget estimates as eyewash and said the government had failed to provide any relief to the masses. He said that the government should have announced major initiatives to overcome the energy crisis.

He said that the smaller provinces particularly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were ignored in the fiscal plan presented by the federal government.

The QWP leader said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas had been overlooked as no allocation was made to compensate the militancy-affected people.

He regretted that longstanding issues being faced by the Pakhtuns had been put on backburner that heightened their sense of deprivation.

He said that power loadshedding, merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure in the province had been consigned to oblivion.

He criticised the federal government for failing to solve the problems facing the Pakhtuns and said this indifferent attitude was not good for the federation.

Our correspondent in Mingora adds: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial head Sikandar Sherpao on Saturday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led- provincial government did nothing for the welfare of the people.

Speaking at a workers’ convention here, he said that the PTI government had not carried out any mega project in the province.

The QWP leaders including Sher Bahadar Khan, Fazal Rehman Nono, Tehsil Councillor Shaukat Khan, Anwar Iqbal Baley, Behram Khan, Irfan Khan and others were also present on the occasion.

Sikandar Sherpao said that the Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal government did not enforced Sharia in the province and neither resolved issues being faced by the people.

“Awami National Party (ANP) in its government carried out record corruption,” he said, adding that people would reject PTI and ANP in the upcoming general elections.

He said that after coming into power, QWP would steer the province out of the prevailing crises. People should vote his party to power, he added. Activists of various political parties announced joining QWP on the occasion.