PESHAWAR - Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Sunday termed the present democratic system controlled democracy and said institutional rigging was committed in the July 25 general elections.

Addressing a well-attended public gathering to mark the 6th Foundation Day of the party here, he said it was not the first time that such an attempt had been made to introduce controlled democracy in the country.

He said that election observers of the European Union also termed the electoral process non-transparent which has vindicated the stance of the opposition parties.

“The mandate of the people has been stolen,” he remarked.

Aftab Sherpao recalled that during Ayub Khan’s era basic democracy was introduced while in General Zia’s regime party-less elections were held to keep the political parties out of the democratic process.

Now selected democracy had been imposed under Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said.

He said that slashing the share of the smaller provinces in the National Finance Commission award would weaken the federation.

He feared that rolling back the 18th Amendment would also deepen the sense of deprivation among the provinces particularly the Pakhtuns.

“Keeping in view the flawed policies of the incumbent government, it is bound to fail and the onus will be not only on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf rulers, but also on those who have brought them into power,” he maintained.

Calling for a new social contract, he said that efforts should be made to end the despondency among the Pakhtuns, who were exposed to a host of problems.

He said that before the general elections, the rulers had claimed that they had solutions to all the problems facing the country, but now they had passed on the burden to the people.

Aftab Sherpao said that the prices of gas, electricity and petroleum products were raised which had triggered inflation. He said the prices of the daily use items had also recorded a sharp increase which has made life miserable for the general public.

He said that PTI chief had claimed before the election that he would prefer to commit suicide than seeking financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but now he was travelling from country to country with a begging bowl to seek loans.

The QWP leader said the prime minister was taking U-turns on key issues.

He demanded the federal government to share the conditions attached to the financial assistance extended by Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.

Commenting on the economic condition of the country, he said the Pakistani Rupee had depreciated against the US dollar.

He said the government on one hand talked about construction of five million houses but on the other hand it was collecting money for building dams.

“We ask the government whether building the dams are important or constructing five million houses,” he asked.

He said it seemed that Imran Khan was still standing on a container as he was using indecent language against his political rivals.

He said the last PTI-led government failed to deliver on its pledges in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. 

Aftab Sherpao said the recent defeats of PTI candidates in the by-elections had vindicated their stance that the general election was massively rigged.

He said the Pakhtun-inhabited areas had been witnessing violence for four decades. He recalled that hundreds of Pakhtuns had been killed and rendered homeless and they had been living as internally displaced persons under poor conditions.

The QWP leader said that the IDPs were harassed at security checkpoints.

He said that his party was striving for the rights of the Pakhtuns.

He demanded of the government to compensate the Pakhtuns for their losses.

“It is the responsibility of the state to provide relief and protection to the people,” he stressed, adding that the Pakhtuns had been branded as terrorists which was tantamount to rubbing salt on their wounds.

Aftab Sherpao urged the government to introduce reforms in the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas to expedite the merger process. However, he said the federal government was not serious about bringing reforms in Fata as no funds were allocated either in the federal or the provincial budget.

He said the security situation in Afghanistan had deteriorated in the recent days and it had led to more bloodshed in the war-torn country.

He congratulated the Afghan government for holding the parliamentary elections which he said were important for the continuity of the democratic process.

Aftab Sherpao said the neighbouring countries should stop interfering in Afghanistan so that peace could be restored to the country.

“Peace cannot be restored in Afghanistan unless it sovereignty is accepted,” he added.