CHARSADDA: Qaumi Watan Party central chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said that the ongoing negotiations between the coalition government and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf won’t yield any positive results because there is a lack of seriousness from both the sides.

He expressed these views while talking to mediapersons after expressing condolences with Haji Sadiqullah, general secretary of Mohammadzai Union of Journalists, Charsadda, over the death of his wife.

QWP district chairman Qaiser Jamal Hashangri, Haji Tariq Khan and the union’s office-bearers were also present on the occasion.

Aftab Sherpao said that people expected political stability after the 2024 general elections, but unfortunately the situation had further aggravated as the coalition government had failed to deliver. He also assailed the opposition PTI for its politics of agitation instead of focusing on real issues.

QWP chief calls for implementation of Kurram peace agreement

He said political stability was vital for turning around the country’s fragile economy. He said that parleys between the government and PTI were the need of the hour. But, he regretted that there was no sign of success because both the sides seemed not serious.

Mr Sherpao asked the government and the PTI to show maturity and desist from issuing provocative statements, which can derail the dialogue process. He said the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had become fed up with the politics of protests and sit-ins, and wanted solution to their problems.

Regarding the Kurram situation, he said that the law and order there was precarious and had reached such a point that the district had become a no-go area. He demanded of the government to implement the peace agreements inked between the warring groups recently.

The seasoned politician expressed concern over the recent attack on the convoy of Kurram deputy commissioner, closure of roads and shortage of food and medicines in the volatile district. He asked the government to provide security to convoys being sent to the violence-hit district.

Sherpao also condemned the kidnapping of 17 employees of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission in Karak, and demanded concrete efforts to ensure their safe recovery from the militants. He termed kidnapping of PAEC employees a failure of the provincial government. He urged the provincial government to take steps to establish peace in southern districts of the province.

Aftab Sherpao insisted on sorting out issues with Afghanistan through negotiations whether at the official level or through backdoor channels.

Sherpao said it was not the time for sit-ins and long marches, adding situation in the province was deteriorating with each passing day and the government should pay full attention to it.

Aftab Sherpao asked the federal government to stop treating KP, especially its merged districts, ‘unfairly’.

He said that disappointment and frustration were growing among Pakhtuns as they were not given their rights and their problems not resolved. He also urged the PTI-led provincial government to give full attention to the governance in the province and shun the politics of sit-ins and long marches.

Sherpao said that the government’s claim of improving economic indicators were just empty slogans because the ground realities were quite the opposite. He said there was no reduction in inflation and the poor were getting poorer by the day.

SENATE MEMBER APPOINTED: KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has appointed Izzat Khan Advocate as a member of the senate of Bacha Khan University.

Izzat Khan is the director of Allied School, Charsadda campus, and his appointment has been made in recognition of his exemplary services in the field of education, leadership and his dedication to the community’s betterment.

According to a statement issued here, as a member of the senate, Izzat Khan would play an important role in the policymaking, financial matters, and education planning of the university.

The statement said that his appointment would not only raise the standard of education but also create better opportunities for students and the community.

ROAD ACCIDENT: Two friends were killed when the motorcycle they were riding hit an electric pole in Dadu Kali area of Tangi tehsil.

The youth were identified as Hamza and Adil of Dadu Kali area. The bodies were shifted to a hospital.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025