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Two policemen injured in JUI-F protest outside K-P Assembly
By Sohail Khattak
Published: May 27, 2018
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PESHAWAR: At least two policemen have been injured in clashes outside Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) stages protest ahead of vote on legislation proposing merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with K-P.
While the assembly session has been called at 2pm, JUI-F workers have burned tires, attempted to lock the assembly door and ripped apart posters of lawmakers who voted in favour of the bill in the Parliament.
A heavy contingent of police, deployed around and inside the assembly, resorted to baton-charge and tear gas shelling to disperse. At least 20 protesters were arrested as police clears Khyber and Jail roads. The security officials have also brought in water cannons for any untoward situation.
JUI-F member attempt to lock assembly gate. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The 31st Amendment Bill is set to face the final hurdle before it is presented before the president as K-P Assembly gears up to vote on the fate of Fata reforms.
Under Article 139 (4) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the bill needs to be passed from the provincial assembly with two-third majority [83 votes] before sending it to the president for assent since it alters the limits of K-P.
Assembly session
Meanwhile, Speaker K-P assembly Asad Qaiser and lawmakers including Shaukat Yousufzai, Atif Khan, Mahmood Khan Ishtiaq, Inayatullah Khan have reached the assembly. Condemning JUI-F protest, Yousufzai said the part wants to keep people of the tribal areas enslaved.
K-P Police monitors situation. PHOTO: EXPRESS
All political parties, on treasury benches and opposition, are in favour including the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP) and the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP). The house has a total 124 seats out of which 121 are presently occupied which means that excluding the 16 JUI-F lawmakers, as many as 105 members are expected to vote in favour.
JUI-F protests Fata, K-P merger bill. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The PPP had demonstrated its keenness to vote and pass the bill by directing its lawmaker and former PTI mines and minerals minister Ziaullah Afridi to withdraw his no-confidence motions against Qaiser just hours after the bill had sailed through the National Assembly. This removed a major obstacle to holding a session of the assembly since any time the session would have been called, the matter of no-confidence against the speaker would have been tabled, putting into jeopardy any other agenda item.
JUI-F protesters. PHOTO: EXPRESS
NA passes ‘historic’ Fata, K-P merger bill
After months of delay, the bill was approved in both upper and lower houses of the Parliament in a span of two days, May 24-25. Aimed to speedup mainstreaming of the tribal areas, the bill proposes merger of Fata with K-P within two years.
In the National Assembly, the bill managed to receive support from all major political parties with 229 lawmakers voting in its favour while only one, an ousted lawmaker of the PTI, voted against it. Two allies of the ruling party, the JUI-F and the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), and an independent member from Fata opposed the bill and staged a walkout during the session.
A day later, the Senate endorsed the bill and passed it with a significant majority – 71 senators voted in favour while five senators from PkMAP opposed it. The PkMAP leaders also staged a walkout.
FATA merger: K-P assembly to vote on Sunday
The 31st Amendment Bill
The bill seeks to amend seven articles in the Constitution of Pakistan to allow implementation of proposed reforms. It seeks to omit paragraph C of sub-clause 2 of Article 1 under which Fata is placed as separate territory of the country like the four provinces. The omission will allow the tribal areas to merge with territory of K-P.
The bill proposes amending clause 1 of Article 51 by reducing the number of seats in the National Assembly from 342 to 326. It adds clause 3A after clause 3 to give legal cover to representatives who will be elected from Fata in the general polls 2018. They will continue as member of the National Assembly till the expiry of their five-year-term and after the five years, this new clause will stand omitted.
It also seeks removal of the word “Federally Administered Tribal Areas,” from the clause 5, under which seats of the National Assembly are allocated on population bases, and from sub-clause 1 of Article 155 which deals with the complaints and interferences with water supplies.
The bill pursues changes in Article 59, which deals with Senate, by reducing the number of Senate members from 104 to 96. It omits the sub-clause (b) of clause 1 that allocated eight members to the tribal areas. It will also delete the sub-clause (b) of clause 3 of the same article which states that four senators elected from Fata shall retire after three years while another four after next three years.
Furthermore, it seeks omission of the word “Federally Administered Tribal Areas” from its sub-clauses (b) and (f) of Article 272 which defines the constitution of Senate.
No more Fata or Pata likely
It proposes omitting clause C of Article 246 which defines and names Fata and seeks addition of clause D which states that laws applicable in these areas will remain applicable until repealed or changed by competent authority.
Under Article 247, the competent authority will be the federal government until after the elections when the jurisdiction for altering and repealing the laws prevailing in these areas will be passed to the assembly.
By Sohail Khattak
Published: May 27, 2018
62SHARES
SHARE TWEET EMAIL
PESHAWAR: At least two policemen have been injured in clashes outside Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) stages protest ahead of vote on legislation proposing merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with K-P.
While the assembly session has been called at 2pm, JUI-F workers have burned tires, attempted to lock the assembly door and ripped apart posters of lawmakers who voted in favour of the bill in the Parliament.
A heavy contingent of police, deployed around and inside the assembly, resorted to baton-charge and tear gas shelling to disperse. At least 20 protesters were arrested as police clears Khyber and Jail roads. The security officials have also brought in water cannons for any untoward situation.
JUI-F member attempt to lock assembly gate. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The 31st Amendment Bill is set to face the final hurdle before it is presented before the president as K-P Assembly gears up to vote on the fate of Fata reforms.
Under Article 139 (4) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the bill needs to be passed from the provincial assembly with two-third majority [83 votes] before sending it to the president for assent since it alters the limits of K-P.
Assembly session
Meanwhile, Speaker K-P assembly Asad Qaiser and lawmakers including Shaukat Yousufzai, Atif Khan, Mahmood Khan Ishtiaq, Inayatullah Khan have reached the assembly. Condemning JUI-F protest, Yousufzai said the part wants to keep people of the tribal areas enslaved.
K-P Police monitors situation. PHOTO: EXPRESS
All political parties, on treasury benches and opposition, are in favour including the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP) and the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP). The house has a total 124 seats out of which 121 are presently occupied which means that excluding the 16 JUI-F lawmakers, as many as 105 members are expected to vote in favour.
JUI-F protests Fata, K-P merger bill. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The PPP had demonstrated its keenness to vote and pass the bill by directing its lawmaker and former PTI mines and minerals minister Ziaullah Afridi to withdraw his no-confidence motions against Qaiser just hours after the bill had sailed through the National Assembly. This removed a major obstacle to holding a session of the assembly since any time the session would have been called, the matter of no-confidence against the speaker would have been tabled, putting into jeopardy any other agenda item.
JUI-F protesters. PHOTO: EXPRESS
NA passes ‘historic’ Fata, K-P merger bill
After months of delay, the bill was approved in both upper and lower houses of the Parliament in a span of two days, May 24-25. Aimed to speedup mainstreaming of the tribal areas, the bill proposes merger of Fata with K-P within two years.
In the National Assembly, the bill managed to receive support from all major political parties with 229 lawmakers voting in its favour while only one, an ousted lawmaker of the PTI, voted against it. Two allies of the ruling party, the JUI-F and the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), and an independent member from Fata opposed the bill and staged a walkout during the session.
A day later, the Senate endorsed the bill and passed it with a significant majority – 71 senators voted in favour while five senators from PkMAP opposed it. The PkMAP leaders also staged a walkout.
FATA merger: K-P assembly to vote on Sunday
The 31st Amendment Bill
The bill seeks to amend seven articles in the Constitution of Pakistan to allow implementation of proposed reforms. It seeks to omit paragraph C of sub-clause 2 of Article 1 under which Fata is placed as separate territory of the country like the four provinces. The omission will allow the tribal areas to merge with territory of K-P.
The bill proposes amending clause 1 of Article 51 by reducing the number of seats in the National Assembly from 342 to 326. It adds clause 3A after clause 3 to give legal cover to representatives who will be elected from Fata in the general polls 2018. They will continue as member of the National Assembly till the expiry of their five-year-term and after the five years, this new clause will stand omitted.
It also seeks removal of the word “Federally Administered Tribal Areas,” from the clause 5, under which seats of the National Assembly are allocated on population bases, and from sub-clause 1 of Article 155 which deals with the complaints and interferences with water supplies.
The bill pursues changes in Article 59, which deals with Senate, by reducing the number of Senate members from 104 to 96. It omits the sub-clause (b) of clause 1 that allocated eight members to the tribal areas. It will also delete the sub-clause (b) of clause 3 of the same article which states that four senators elected from Fata shall retire after three years while another four after next three years.
Furthermore, it seeks omission of the word “Federally Administered Tribal Areas” from its sub-clauses (b) and (f) of Article 272 which defines the constitution of Senate.
No more Fata or Pata likely
It proposes omitting clause C of Article 246 which defines and names Fata and seeks addition of clause D which states that laws applicable in these areas will remain applicable until repealed or changed by competent authority.
Under Article 247, the competent authority will be the federal government until after the elections when the jurisdiction for altering and repealing the laws prevailing in these areas will be passed to the assembly.
