PESHAWAR: The seats for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly will increase to 147 from the current 126 after its merger with the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), according to the proposed 30th amendment in the constitution. The amendment, which would serve as a means to merge FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, will be presented before the National Assembly’s standing committee for law and justice for approval on Thursday (today). The general seats of the provincial assembly will increase from 99 to 117, according to the draft bill. The seats for women have been increased from 22 to 26, while for religious minorities from three to four.According to the bill, FATA will be granted 18 general seats, four seats for women and one for religious minorities. Moreover, FATA’s 12 seats in National Assembly will be merged in KP Assembly’s and the provincial seats will increase from 48 to 60 in the Lower House of parliament. Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch in his statement of objects and reasons said that the federal cabinet in its decision on March 2, 2017, had approved the integration of FATA with the KP province.”FATA being a part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after such integration will require its representation in the provincial assembly of the province,” he said, adding that the seats for FATA have been created in KP assembly according to its population. “Creation of such seats is also of paramount importance for the fact that, if delayed, it will not only hamper the integration or the mainstreaming of FATA but also neglect a favourable opportunity, which might become a distant possibility before the next general elections 2023,” he added. Published in Daily Times, May 17th 2018.