PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said the federal government`s `delaying` tactics on merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunl(hwa is tantamount to deceiving the tribesmen.

Speaking at a public meeting at Hazarkhwani here on Saturday, he said delaying the merger of Fata with KP was against the wishes of Pal(htuns.

Senior provincial minister Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao and other leaders of the party were also present.

Aftab Sherpao said pleasing those who were objecting to Fat a-KP merger would harm the image of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz among the people of Fata and KP.

He said the party planned to hold demonstrations and a multi-party conference to work out a strategy for speeding up the merger process.

He said those opposing the Fata reforms were doing a disservice to the nation. `By denying the people of tribal areas their rights, these elements are playing with fire,` he declared.

Mr Sherpao expressed concern over the excessive loadshedding in KP and rejected the allegations of theft by the centre and said despite the largest producer of hydro-electricity the province had been deprived of its due share in electricity supply.

Mr Sherpao recalled that the prime minister af ter assuming power in 2013 had pledged to end loadshedding in the country, but this claim did not materialise.

The QWP leader said the federal government was blaming KP people for electricity theft to cover its failure to end loadshedding. He said that there should be no loadshedding during Ramazan.

He said people to people and government to government contacts were essential to cement relations between Pakistan and the neighboring countries, particularly Afghanistan. Bureau Report