Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Nationally Assembly (NA) on Thursday passed its 31st Constitutional Amendment Bill 2018 merging Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq is currently chairing the 56th session of NA which is honoured with the attendance of Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

The Bill was tabled by Law Minister Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk in the NA after the parliamentary committee approved it after months of disagreement between coalition partners with the opposition over its clauses.

Earlier during the session, NA speaker called for voting on the Bill’s clauses. Clause 1 of the bill gained votes of 229 lawmakers in irs favour and 11 against it.

Whereas the 2nd clause gained 229 votes in favour and three in opposition.

For the bill to pass, it required two-third majority. Where Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) announced its support, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) and Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (Pk MAP) opposed the Bill.

One of the clauses of the bill had an error which amended by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’S (PML-N) leader Zahid Hamid. The clause stating ‘the seats for women in KP and Punjab Assembly have increased’ was later approved.

PM Abbasi addressed the NA before the Bill was tabled, stating that FATA bill was not the government’s or opposition’s rather it was everyone’s as it will set on a course to change the 150 year old draconial law in tribal areas.

In a rare move, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan is also attending the session to vote for FATA’s merger with KP.

The House waited for lawmakers to make it to the NA session as the opposition in its full strength.

Earlier, PM Abbasi had presided a federal cabinet meeting, which had approved the amendment.

On Wednesday PM Abbasi had also chaired a session of lawmakers to agree unanimously on the amendment of merger. The parliamentary session was boycotted by JUI-F and Pk MAP members.

Previously on December 14, 2016 KP Assembly had adopted a resolution in favour of merging FATA with KP. The resolution had aimed at rehabilitation of FATA through reconstruction of its infrastructure.

Later on December 26, 2017 the federal cabinet had approved the formation of a high-level national implementation committee for FATA.

The bill aims to amend seven articles in the Constituion of Pakistan to allow implementation of the proposed reforms.

The Bill seeks to amend Article 1 of the Constitution that defines FATA as a separate entity along with the other provinces.

Furthermore it aims to increase the number of seats from KP assesmbly to 147 from 126.