In a move to extend the Political Parties Act to FATA, the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has sent a bill to the Ministry of Law for vetting, an official source told Pakistan Today on Sunday. “The bill is likely to be sent back by the Law Ministry within a week, after which it will be submitted in the National Assembly”, the official said.
The extension of Political Parties Act to FATA has been a major demand of the tribal people and political parties of the country as it would allow the tribesmen to play an active role in national politics. The bill, if passed by the Parliament, would allow the political parties to initiate political activities in the FATA as all political activities are banned in the region.
It is worth recalling that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had promised in March 2010 to extend the law to the tribal region.
