Peshawar: Central Chairman of Qaumi Watan Party Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said the election commission should take steps for the free and fair election while government should ensure security of political parties and political gatherings. He said that delay in election will not be tolerated therefore government should hold election on time.
Aftab Ahmad Sherpao while addressing a press conference said that all political parties must focus on devising a unanimous strategy for the upcoming general elections and any delay in the polls on the part of rulers would be dangerous for the country.
He said the ruling parties had been utilizing developmental fund for the their elections campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which he termed a pre-polls rigging.
He said that owing to the security threats to political parties’ workers and its activities the election commission should make arrangements for holding fair and free elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa particularly in Fata.
Sherpao said and added that the government must adopt concrete steps for the security of political parties workers and gatherings. He also criticized the federal government for slashing developmental fund for the tribal areas, which he said was quite unfair in the face of deteriorating law and order situation and ordeals of tribal people.
A number of ANP workers, belonging to Buner district, resigned from their party and joined Qaumi Watan Party, criticizing the provincial government for not fulfilling the pledges the party had made during election campaign. Amongst them Wilayat Shah Bacha, ex-union council nazim Shamshad Ali Shah, Sher Shah Khan and Fazl Raheem were prominent.
In reply to a question Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said that the Awami National Party had capped the net hydel profit amount to Rs 6 billion while his government in 1994 had raised this amount to Rs 6.50 billion in 1994. “Why the ruling ANP did not uncap the existing net hydel profit while remaining in power for almost five years in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federal government,” he added.
Central Chairman of the QWP said that a particular party was making politics over the dead issue of Kalabagh Dam in order to divert attention of the masses from real issues. “The so-called champion of the Pakhtuns rights had failed to establish peace in the province and compensate the victims of militancy in Malakand division and other parts of the province. He claimed that his party would fill the political vacuum in the province and would uphold the cause of Pakhtuns.
Aftab Sherpao said that certain political parties were shining politics over Karachi situation where the militant wings of these parties were killing innocent people and sabotaging atmosphere in the port city.