PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has complained that the caretaker government’s failure to focus on its constitutional obligation of holding free and fair elections is causing “political and social uncertainty” in the country.

“The caretakers are supposed to ensure the holding of general elections in a free, fair and transparent manner but they’re spending time on non-issues,” Mr Sherpao told a meeting of the QWP’s federal and provincial council members at the party’s central secretariat Watan Kor here on Saturday.

The QWP leadersaid at the time of parliament passing the 18th Constitutional Amendment, his party had proposed to do away with the caretaker setup as under the original 1973 Constitution, there was no concept of installing caretakers for elections.

He said the ECP should be strengthened to conduct polls.

QWP re-elects him as its chairman

Mr Sherpao said whichever political party formed the government after general elections, it should amend the Constitution and abolish the role of caretakers in future.

He said there was no role of caretakers in India, Bangladesh and other regional countries.

The QWP chairman said the main challenge for the government was to revive the economy.

He said the poor law and order and political instability badly impacted the economy and therefore, efforts were needed to put the economy on the right track.

Mr Sherpao said the QWP’s mandate was stolen in the 2018 general elections but it continued working for the rights of Pakhtuns.

He said his party was part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement that unmasked the conspiracy to install PTI leader Imran Khan as the prime minister.

The QWP leader said prime minister Imran Khan was ousted through a no-confidence vote to save the country from bankruptcy.

He said the QWP believed in neo-nationalism, which meant independence from clutches of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and multinational companies.

QWP provincial chief Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao, who was also in attendance, urged workers to spread the party’s message of peace, development and prosperity to every household.

He said the QWP would spare no effort to help Pakhtuns get their due rights.

He also demanded the level-playing field for all political parties.

Earlier, Sherpao was re-elected the party’s central chairman and Ahmad Nawaz Jadoon the general secretary for four years.

The election took place in a meeting at Watan Kor, where members of the party’s federal and provincial councils and workers from all over the province showed up.

In a statement, the QWP said that Haji Mohammad Ghufran was elected its senior vice-chairman, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli vice-chairperson, Hashim Babar vice-chairman, Tariq Ahmad Khan information secretary, Hashim Raza joint secretary, Mohammad Yousaf Khan coordinator (social media) and Hanif Shah member of the central executive committee.

It added that the party elected Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao as its provincial chairman, Dr Farooq Afzal general secretary, Asad Afridi senior vice-chairman, Faiza Rasheed, Prof Hameedur Rehaman, Syed Fayyaz Ali Shah, Baidar Hussain Shah, Mohammad Hashim Khan and Shamsher Khan vice-chairmen, Akundzada Sikandar Zaman finance secretary, Dr Alam Yousfzai culture secretary, Shakeel Waheedullah Khan information secretary, Mehmoodul Islam deputy general secretary, Mumtaz Khan Yousafzai coordinator (media and social media), Iftikhar Khan additional secretary and Arshad Afridi additional secretary (social media).

Tania Gul, Engineer Yousaf Zaman, Amanullah Khan, Saeed Khan Bamkhel, Shadad Khan and Neelum Gigyani were elected the party’s joint secretaries.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2023