PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has expressed his serious concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the country and asked the government to take pragmatic steps for restoration of durable peace.

He was addressing a public meeting in Kotla Mohsin Khan here on Saturday.

The QWP chief said that the people had rendered matchless sacrifices in the fight against terrorism for the sake of the country, but the government was yet to take concrete steps for protection of masses and their properties.

He asked the government to devise a policy keeping in view welfare of the masses to eradicate terrorism and ensure their protection on permanent basis.

Sherpao slams PTI for taking KP-Fata merger issue to SC

About the protest by a religious group in Islamabad, he said that the prolonged protest had brought life in Rawalpidi and Islamabad to a standstill.

He said that the federal government had failed to control the situation even after the passage of 18 days.

He criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leadership for taking the issue of KP-Fata merger to the Supreme Court. He said that the issue was related to the parliament and it was deplorable to involve the judiciary in it.

He regretted that such moves could lead to curtailment of powers of parliament.

Mr Sherpao said that the precious time of general public and courts had been wasted due to non-issues like Panama papers.

He asked the federal government to ensure the Fata-KP merger as early as possible.

He reiterated that all political parties were mutually agreed on the merger issue, but even then the federal government had not been doing anything practical in this regard.

The QWP chairman asked Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to fulfil the commitments former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had made with the smaller provinces regarding their due rights. He said that the only objective of his party was to ensure welfare of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

On this occasion, Abid Mastkhel, Sobat Khan, Sohail Khan and Ahmad Shah announced to join QWP.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2017