Peshawar  -  Expressing grave concern over the worsening law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in the southern belt, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chairman Sikandar Hayat Sherpao on Wednesday demanded that an all-parties conference (APC) be convened to discuss the problems facing the province.

Addressing  a news conference at the press club, he expressed grief over the loss of precious human lives in the recent clashes in the Kurram tribal district and said it was unprecedented that women and children were being killed in these attacks. Quoting official figures about the death toll, he said that so far, 82 people had lost their lives, while over 150 had sustained injuries in the clashes in Kurram.

The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) leader demanded a detailed investigation into the attack on passenger vehicles on November 21 and the burning of the bazaar. Criticizing the provincial government for its failure to ensure peace in Kurram, Sikandar Sherpao said that although it claimed to have brokered a ceasefire, the clashes were still taking place with no respite in the violence.

He also said that major roads had been closed for three months in Kurram, effectively turning the area into an open jail.

He added that the provincial government was focusing on preparations for its Islamabad protest, while showing little concern for the bloodshed and the overall worsening law and order situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan divisions, which constituted 15 percent of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s population, were bearing the brunt of rising lawlessness.

Sikandar Sherpao said it was the responsibility of the provincial government to ensure the protection of people’s lives and properties. He added that the chief minister should have visited Kurram to sympathize with the people and work for the restoration of peace there. He said the chief minister merely issued a statement, saying that he was “reviewing the situation.”

The QWP provincial chief said the government was losing its writ in the southern belt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and had left the people at the mercy of terrorists. He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been on autopilot mode, with no efforts being made to resolve the issues facing the common people.

He further said that, on one hand, the federal government sought loans from international lenders, while on the other hand, the protests were causing losses worth billions of rupees to the national economy. He asked, “What was the fault of the Rangers and police personnel who lost their lives in the protest rally?”