Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has said that the Pakhtun population is directly affected whenever there is a lack of trust and misunderstanding between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The QWP chief expressed these remarks during a press conference at Quetta Press Club on Sunday. He was accompanied by QWP Provincial Chairman and KP Senior Minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao. On the occasion, leaders from different political parties joined the QWP.
Sherpao said that both Pakistan and Afghanistan should establish friendly and cordial relations in order to achieve durable peace and sustainable development in the region.
He called upon leaders of both states to fabricate a favorable environment for trade and commerce and devise policies to further increase people- to-people interaction across the border.
Sherpao said the federal government should ensure equal rights and equal distribution of resources among all federating units. “In order to end grievances of people especially the Pakhtun population government should initiate fresh population census without any further delay so smaller provinces get and spend funds according to their needs,” he demanded.
About FATA’s integration into KP, QWP chairman said present system under FCR in tribal belt has drastically failed in giving relief to the tribal people and the merging of FATA into KP is the only solution to bring peace, development and prosperity back to militancy-hit areas. He added that the unification would further make strength the voice of the Pakhtuns and it would bring positive impacts on the socio-economic life of the tribesmen in future.
Commenting on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Aftab Sherpao said, “The multi-billion project can prove to be a game changer for Pakistan as well as the entire region in the near future. It is testing time for the federal government that how it will make it happen so as to get maximum benefits from this mega project”.
He added, “Government should give keen focus on the construction of its western route because this route is considered to be a real game changer for the terrorism affected areas of KP, FATA and Balochistan because it is a matter of life and death and a ray of hope for them”.