PESHAWAR, June 2: Blocking supplies to Nato forces in Afghanistan would have no significance as the US-led troops were about to leave the war-torn country, said Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao here on Sunday.

Mr Sherpao, whose party is a coalition partner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, asked the centre to end power loadshedding as unjust distribution of resources was not acceptable to them.

Addressing a press conference, he stressed the need for holding early local bodies’ elections. He said that his party joined the provincial government after Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan accepted their demands.

On the occasion, know nationalist lawyer Kifayat Ali Khan joined QWP along with his supporters and expressed confidence in its leadership. Provincial Senior Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao, MPA Bakht Baidar Khan and other leaders of the party were also present during the press conference.

Mr Sherpao said that restoration of peace was major challenge for the provincial government. He said that he was in favour of holding talks with the stakeholders for restoration of peace as use of forces was not a solution to the issue.

The QWP chief said that his party joined the government in the larger interests of what he called the oppressed Pakhtuns as they had been suffering for the past over three decades. “Now the government will focus on the issues of people,” he added. He said that providing health and education facilities to people, restoration of peace and controlling unemployment and price hike were main issues.

“We cannot afford politics of confrontation and it is time that centre and provinces have cordial relationship to move forward by supporting each other to overcome the common problems and steer the country out of the existing crises,” Mr Sherpao said.

He said that his party would support positive initiatives of the federal government. He said that they would like to work collectively for rehabilitation of displaced persons and reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure.

The QWP chief said that the government would succeed if it worked hard to control corruption, unemployment, price hike and terrorism. He said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had no dearth of natural resources and that was why it was generating 5,500 megawatts electricity but despite that people of the province were facing the worst kind of power loadshedding.

In the past, he said, rulers focused on personal interests. They sold jobs and failed to execute new power projects or raise voice against the inequitable distribution of resources, he alleged.

“We have discussed issues with PTI leadership openly and told it that restoration of peace, revival of economy and provision of jobs should be top priorities and there should be no politics on the rights of the people of the province,” Mr Sherpao said.

He said that it was duty of all political parties to respect mandate of each other and work within their legal limits to revive sick industries and bring backward areas at par with the developed ones.

Criticising the policies of the previous government, Mr Sherpao said that bad governance disappointed the nation.

About blocking supplies to Nato forces stationed in Afghanistan, he said that the US-led Nato forces were leaving Afghanistan so stopping supplies would have no significance.

Speaking on the occasion, Sikandar Sherpao said that excessive power loadshedding was unbearable and provincial government would take up the issue with centre.