'Any change at the cost of democracy to be harmful'

Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, chief of his own faction of PPP-Sherpao, has said that any change at the cost of democracy would be harmful for the country, and it is the duty of the rulers to save democracy as well as the country. Addressing a press conference at his residence in Hayatabad, he urged the political parties to work under the constitutional framework and said that tussle among different institutions could lead the country to destabilisation.
He said that the best way for solution to the matters was dialogue and tolerance. On the occasion, a leader of Mazdoor Kissan Party, Ahmed Ali Khan along with his hundreds of colleagues, announced joining PPP-Sherpao. The PPP-Sherpao provincial President MPA Sikandar Sherpao, and General Secretary (former provincial minister) Bakht Baidar Khan were also present on the occasion.
Regarding relief and assistance for the flood affected people he warned that failure in immediate steps for rehabilitation would put the lives of the millions of people at risk in the coming winter season. He said that both the provincial and the federal governments had failed to materialise the commitments regarding provision of the compensation amount of Rs 20,000 and relief items to the suffering families.
Sherpao said that the worst affected were the people of Shangla, Dir, Swat, Indus Kohistan, Dir Kohistan, Chitral and Tank, as the relief items could not be provided to them at proper time due to the damage to roads and bridges. He said that despite passage of two months the flood affectees are still waiting for financial aid and the government was unable to materialise its commitments in this regard. He said that the rulers' failure could be judged from the fact that they could not convince the international community for extending financial support to the people who had lost family members and properties in the recent floods.
He said that those claiming to be champions of the rights of Pakhtuns had preferred to stay away from the people and left the people at the mercy of non-governmental organisations who were trying to help the needy voters. The militancy and floods, he said, had exposed the performance of the rulers who were unable to support the people in this hour of need. He added that the ruling coalition partners were distributing the relief items on basis of political affiliation and ignoring the extremely needy people "who have no political association".
He said that it was the duty of the rulers to reach every corner of the province; support the people irrespective of their political affiliations; and take effective steps for reconstruction of the destroyed houses. "In case of delay in rehabilitation of the people the fast approaching winter season will cause serious problems to the shelterless people, especially to the children, women, the aged and the patients," he said, and added that the entire responsibility would rest with the government.
Shepao also condemned the killing of innocent people in target killing in Karachi and termed it as failure of the coalition government. He said that the ultimate sufferers of the target killing were the poor Pakhtuns of backward areas who had been there to earn livelihood. The government, he said, was duty-bound to take effective measures for protection of the lives and properties of the people. He also expressed concern over the killing of people in the tribal clashes in Kurram Agency.