PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Wednesday demanded that the seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KP) assembly should be increased as the population of the province has also grown over the years, as revealed by the latest population census.
He said this while addressing a public meeting in Swabi. On the occasion, some of the most prominent political figures announced to join QWP.
Sherpao said that the increase in the seats of the provincial assembly would enhance the representation of the people, and it would also be instrumental in redressing the grievances of the people in a more effective manner.
He said that QWP would oppose any unconstitutional move aimed at maintaining the status quo in the country. He also said that the number of seats in the provincial assembly have remained unchanged, adding that it was the constitutional right of the people to seek an increase in KP assembly seats, in a similar fashion to the National Assembly.
Sherpao rejected the idea of holding early elections and said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s demand for snap polls was impractical and childish, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had clearly said that elections could not be organised earlier.
The PTI chairman had repeatedly called for early polls, a demand that was not even slightly favoured by the KP chief minister in the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meeting, he said.
He further said that PTI chief’s demand was unrealistic and it was a great insult to the public mandate, while adding that QWP was the staunchest supporter of the constitution and the democratic process.
He said that the party had always supported the timely holding of elections as the process helped strengthen the parliament and its institutions.
“Those who raised the slogans of change, especially by claiming to improve the health and education sectors, have failed to deliver their promises. The uplift schemes ongoing in Swabi were initiated and extended by the QWP, and those who take credit for it was living in a fool’s paradise” Sherpao said.
He asked the incumbent Prime Minister Shahid Khaqqan Abbasi that he should fulfill ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s promises to the smaller provinces, adding that the Panama Papers case had only wasted the precious time of the masses and courts by putting real issues on backburner.
The QWP chairman criticised the revival of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), saying that the two religious parties, who wanted to form an alliance, would have to adjust their stance on a number of key political issues in the country, including Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) merger with KP, where the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) wanted its immediate merger while the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was completely opposed to the idea.
He said the revival seemed strange as currently the JUI-F was in alliance with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the centre, while the JI was part of the coalition government in KP, led by the PTI.
Moreover, Sherpao said that before going through any revival of the MMA, both the religious parties should first revisit their stance by breaking away from the coalition on the federal and provincial levels.
He demanded a judicial inquiry in to the Dera Ismail Khan incident, saying that if the real facts surrounding the incident were not shared with the public and the involved persons were not punished as per the law, it would amount to great injustice.
