Chairman of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has announced he will visit all tribal agencies to unite the people in favour of the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Sherpao made this announcement speaking at his party meeting in Charsadda where he also vowed that his QWP would stand shoulder to shoulder with the tribal brothers to pursue the cause of FATA's merger with KP. "The merger will make Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the second largest province of Pakistan. It will also ensure all rights for the tribal population," he said, adding that for the first time in the history, sincere attempts were made to merge the FATA with KP. However, he said the enemies of Pakhtuns were trying to derail the merger process but QWP would oppose all those attempts aimed at dividing Pakhtuns. He said that such steps would promote consternation and weaken the federation. He said that enemies didn't want to see KP as the second largest province of Pakistan.
"All stakeholders are in favour of the integration but the merger is being delayed gratuitously in order to maintain the hegemony of Punjab," he alleged.
Sherpao said that Pakistan was a federation of different 'nations,' but being governed by a single 'nationality' which has weakened the unity of the country. He accused Punjab of exploiting the resources of the provinces for its own development at the cost of smaller provinces. He warned that no rigging in the population census would be tolerated. He demanded of the government to include Munda Dam, Pehor High Level Canal and Chashma Right Bank Canal in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
QWP chief urged that instead of impeding the development of Pakhtuns, attempts should be made to facilitate Pakhtun areas because development of Pakhtun areas will prove to be the greatest contribution to the entire region, let alone Pakistan.