PESHAWAR: Qaumi Watan Party has asked the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take precautionary measures in view of the looming threat of floods to avert loss of lives, damages to properties and pay compensation to the rain-affected families.Speaking at a press conference at the party`s central secretariat at Watan Kor here, QWP chairman Aftab Ahmed Sherpao expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life in flash floods in Punjab and the deaths caused by the torrential rains in Hazara division. He asked the provincial government to compensate the families of those who died in the rain-related incidents in Hazara.

He said that PTI was busy persuading the nation towards civil disobedience instead of focusing on public welfare.

Mr Sherpao said the sit-ins and the civil disobedience call had caused colossal loss to the economy as steep decrease was witnessed in tax and revenue collection over the last over two weeks, adding that its ultimate negative impact would be borne by the poor people.

About the participation of the chief minister and his cabinet members in the sit-ins, the QWP chief said that for the past some weeks there was no government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the people of different electoral constituencies were confused as to what to do for solution to their problems.

Mr Sherpao said that the problems of the internally displaced persons had been put on the backburner due to the `Azadi` and `Inqilab` marches` and that the media had also focused its attention on the protests. Besides, he said some foreign dignitaries, who were scheduled to visit Islamabad, had to put off their visits owing to the uncertainty in the country.

He said that despite registration of FIR of the Model Town incident, the PTI leadership didn`t postpone its agitation and continued staging protest sit-ins.

The QWP leader said that his party lent support to the federal government in a bid to strengthen democracy in the country. `We didn`t rally behind the government for our personal interests but extended support in the country`s larger interests. We stood by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to save democracy from being derailed,` he maintained.

Mr Sherpao said though the federal government had failed to address the grievances of the Pakhtuns, his party supported it for the sake of democracy. `I pay tribute to all the political parties that shunned their differences and lent support to the federal government,` he added.

He said that it was for the first time in the parliamentary history of the country that all the political parities demonstrated unity and didn`t side with the forces wanting to weaken democracy.

On the occasion, former Mansehra district naib nazim Ateeq-ur-Rehman Jehangirl announced joining the QWP along with scores of supporters.