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The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Sunday approved the KP-Fata merger bill, paving way for the merger of the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata).
The bill was passed with two-third majority — a Constitutional prerequisite for the proposed merger. As many as 87 lawmakers voted in favour while seven MPAs used their votes against the bill.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid tabled the bill seeking a merger of Fata with the province in the assembly for further proceedings amid ruckus as the lawmakers associated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) as well as disgruntled PTI members were chanting slogans to record their protests.
Following a delay due to the protests, being held outside the assembly by JUI-F workers against the proposed merger, KP Assembly managed to start its session after police dispersed the protesters from outside the assembly gate
Speaker Asad Qaiser has been presiding over the session while lawmakers, including KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman, are in attendance. Large contingents of police have been deployed in the area.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) has been opposing the bill and demanding a referendum to seek assent of tribal people before Fata’s merger with KP.
The protesting lawmakers were demanding the speaker of the assembly to let them speak first. The treasury benches were also chanting slogans against the protesting parties. The speaker's repeated requests to maintain the decorum of the floor and show restrain fell on deaf ears.
PPP parliamentary leader in the assembly, Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, criticised the JUI-F and held it responsible for the delay in the merger of Fata and KP. Saeed Janan of JUI and Ali Shah traded harsh words over the issue.
Sardar Hussain Babak of the Awami National Party in his speech supported the proposed merger and said that the line between Fata and KP was an artificial one. "Fata has already been a part of the country," he said and vowed to bring all the Pushtun people in the country to the mainstream.
"In the next phase, Pashtun of Balochistan will be brought to the mainstream," he added.
JI's parliamentary leader Inayatullah demanded of the government take steps to bring up both Fata and the Provincial Administrated Tribal Areas (Pata) from under the line of poverty.
MPA Shah Farman of PTI in his speech said that after making Fata a part of the province, Balochistan will become a part of KP. He went on to say that subsequently, at a suitable time, Pashtun from Afghanistan will join with the province. The comments drew immediate reaction from the Opposition benches.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) has been opposing the bill and demanding a referendum to seek assent of tribal people before Fata’s merger with KP.
Opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman criticised the federal government, saying that it had been decided between the party and the federal government that people of Fata would be taken into account before the merger.
"Don't legislate under the international pressure. The nation will have to pay for the legislation in a haste," he said.
He said that the party had supported the military operation in Fata. He said that the JUI's narrative against terrorism has been sold out. He added that the government was running the country on the basis of loans.
Fazal Ghafoor os the JUI warned that sit-ins will be held out the houses of MPAs, belonging to Malakand region. He demanded a tax relaxation for 10 years as well as a Rs100 billion package for the people of Pata.
Read: KP-Fata merger bill is another win for democracy
Even though the bill has been passed by both houses of the parliament, Article 239(4) of the Constitution says that the president cannot assent a constitutional amendment bill which affects geographical boundaries of a province without approval by the assembly of that province.
Article 239(4) of the Constitution reads, “A bill to amend the Constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a province shall not be presented to the president for assent unless it has been passed by the provincial assembly of that province by the votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.”
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmaker Baldev Kumar, who was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in Buner in April in the 2016 murder of Soran Singh — took oath as member of the provincial assembly at the start of the session.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1410351/kp-assembly-approves-kp-fata-merger-bill-with-two-third-majority
The bill was passed with two-third majority — a Constitutional prerequisite for the proposed merger. As many as 87 lawmakers voted in favour while seven MPAs used their votes against the bill.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Law Minister Imtiaz Shahid tabled the bill seeking a merger of Fata with the province in the assembly for further proceedings amid ruckus as the lawmakers associated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) as well as disgruntled PTI members were chanting slogans to record their protests.
Following a delay due to the protests, being held outside the assembly by JUI-F workers against the proposed merger, KP Assembly managed to start its session after police dispersed the protesters from outside the assembly gate
Speaker Asad Qaiser has been presiding over the session while lawmakers, including KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman, are in attendance. Large contingents of police have been deployed in the area.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) has been opposing the bill and demanding a referendum to seek assent of tribal people before Fata’s merger with KP.
The protesting lawmakers were demanding the speaker of the assembly to let them speak first. The treasury benches were also chanting slogans against the protesting parties. The speaker's repeated requests to maintain the decorum of the floor and show restrain fell on deaf ears.
PPP parliamentary leader in the assembly, Syed Mohammad Ali Shah, criticised the JUI-F and held it responsible for the delay in the merger of Fata and KP. Saeed Janan of JUI and Ali Shah traded harsh words over the issue.
Sardar Hussain Babak of the Awami National Party in his speech supported the proposed merger and said that the line between Fata and KP was an artificial one. "Fata has already been a part of the country," he said and vowed to bring all the Pushtun people in the country to the mainstream.
"In the next phase, Pashtun of Balochistan will be brought to the mainstream," he added.
JI's parliamentary leader Inayatullah demanded of the government take steps to bring up both Fata and the Provincial Administrated Tribal Areas (Pata) from under the line of poverty.
MPA Shah Farman of PTI in his speech said that after making Fata a part of the province, Balochistan will become a part of KP. He went on to say that subsequently, at a suitable time, Pashtun from Afghanistan will join with the province. The comments drew immediate reaction from the Opposition benches.
The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) has been opposing the bill and demanding a referendum to seek assent of tribal people before Fata’s merger with KP.
Opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman criticised the federal government, saying that it had been decided between the party and the federal government that people of Fata would be taken into account before the merger.
"Don't legislate under the international pressure. The nation will have to pay for the legislation in a haste," he said.
He said that the party had supported the military operation in Fata. He said that the JUI's narrative against terrorism has been sold out. He added that the government was running the country on the basis of loans.
Fazal Ghafoor os the JUI warned that sit-ins will be held out the houses of MPAs, belonging to Malakand region. He demanded a tax relaxation for 10 years as well as a Rs100 billion package for the people of Pata.
Read: KP-Fata merger bill is another win for democracy
Even though the bill has been passed by both houses of the parliament, Article 239(4) of the Constitution says that the president cannot assent a constitutional amendment bill which affects geographical boundaries of a province without approval by the assembly of that province.
Article 239(4) of the Constitution reads, “A bill to amend the Constitution which would have the effect of altering the limits of a province shall not be presented to the president for assent unless it has been passed by the provincial assembly of that province by the votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership.”
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmaker Baldev Kumar, who was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court in Buner in April in the 2016 murder of Soran Singh — took oath as member of the provincial assembly at the start of the session.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1410351/kp-assembly-approves-kp-fata-merger-bill-with-two-third-majority
