KP Assembly approves FATA merger bill amid protests

• 92 votes cast in favour, seven against the bill
• Lawmakers demand tax exemptions, special incentives for PATA
• At least two policemen injured, dozens of protesters arrested in clashes before assembly session

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf-led (PTI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Sunday passed the landmark 31st amendment bill with a two-thirds majority to merge Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with KP, amid ruckus and clashes between Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and police outside the assembly.

The bill, presented by KP Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi after detailed discussion in the extraordinary session of the provincial assembly, got 92 votes in favour out of the required 83 for a two-thirds majority, and seven were cast against it.

While expressing views on the amendment bill, MPAs from Malakand Division reminded that the bill had led to abolishing of Article 247, which also caused erasing of some privileges and incentives for the people of Provincially Administrative Tribal Areas (PATA). They asked the chief minister to take up the matter with the federal government as PATA was also badly affected by terrorism in the recent past like FATA.

These relaxations and incentives included Shariah Regulations 2009 and exemption from every sort of taxes.

The parliamentary leaders and representatives, while supporting the bill, expressed hope that it would lead to an end to terror and violence in the area and would usher in an era of progress and prosperity in the region. ANPs Sardar Hussain termed it as the beginning saying that now, they could go ahead to integrate Pakhtoons from all over the country into one administrative unit.

Former minister Inayatullah Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Sardar Babak of Awami National Party (ANP), Dr Haider Ali of PTI and Syed Muhammad Ali Shah of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) belonging to Malakand Division made it clear that they have no reservations over abolition of Article 274 of the constitution in the new amendment, but they were unhappy over withdrawal of some incentives.

They demanded the house to ensure complete tax exemptions and special incentives for the region for its development, along with the continuation of 2009 Shariah Regulations. Babak informed the house that according to their request, CM Khattak was already in contact with the federal government and was hopeful of its positive outcomes.

Prior to the presentation of the bill, Chief Minister Khattak and Speaker Asad Qaisar chaired a detailed meeting of leaders and representatives of different political parties to discuss in-depth arrangements for the passage of the amendment bill. Opposition Leader in KP Assembly Maulana Lutfur Rehman was also present on the occasion.

Sardar Babak informed the house that he was surprised to know about the consensus between the chief minister and the leader of opposition over the name of the caretaker chief minister. “I do not have any grievance with the chief minister but we [other opposition parties] were never consulted by Opposition Leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman on the nominee for the office of caretaker CM.”

Babak asked both CM Khattak and Lutfur Rehman to clarify before the house reports of receiving money from the proposed caretaker chief minister by both sides. Similarly, he questioned the criteria for choosing the caretaker CM, as well as the contribution and capabilities of the interim chief minister, without taking the name of Manzoor Afridi who has reportedly been tipped as a caretaker chief executive of the province.

Hearing this, a number of PTI dissident MPAs, charged for selling votes in Senate election, made attempts of taking to the floor at once and chanted slogans against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak as well as the ruling PTI.

Earlier, the premises of the assembly became a battleground as JUI-F  members protested ahead of a vote on legislation proposing the merger, and pelted policemen and media vehicles with stones.

At least two policemen were injured in clashes and dozens of protesters were arrested.

A heavy contingent of police deployed around and inside the assembly, dispersed crowd with baton-charge and tear-gas. The KP Police also managed to clear Khyber Road.

The security officials also brought in water cannons for any untoward situation.

The JUI-F has been opposing the bill and demanding a referendum to seek assent of tribal people before FATA’s merger with KP. JUI party workers, including workers from FATA, gathered outside the KP Assembly early Sunday morning and threatened to put padlocks on the assembly gates to ensure that no one was able to make it inside the premises for the session scheduled for 2 pm.

“We will not let the FATA merger bill be approved,” the protesters chanted as they started burning tires on the road leading to the assembly.

Meanwhile, KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and lawmakers, including Shaukat Yousufzai, Atif Khan, Mahmood Khan Ishtiaq, Inayatullah Khan, reached the assembly amid protest. Condemning the commotion caused by JUI-F, Yousufzai said that they [JUI-F] wants to keep people of the tribal areas enslaved.

The passage of the 31st Amendment Bill from the KP Assembly was the final hurdle before the bill is presented to the president.

Under Article 139 (4) of the Constitution of Pakistan, the bill needs to be passed from the provincial assembly with the two-thirds majority [83 votes] before sending it to the president for assent since it alters the limits of KP.

All political parties were hopeful that the KP Assembly, in Sunday’s session — to be held just a day before its dissolution on the completion of its five-year term — will manage to validate the Federally Administered Tribal Areas Reforms Bill already passed by the two houses of parliament.

The provincial government had reportedly sent a summary to the governor on Friday — soon after the passage of the constitution amendment bill from the Senate — for summoning a session of the assembly at 2 pm on Sunday. The session had been convened only to give its approval to the historic bill that would erase the colonial-era division between tribal areas and the province.

After the provincial assembly’s approval, the landmark bill will bring the tribal borderlands, comprising seven agencies and six Frontier Regions, to the mainstream and they will be merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Tribal people will get representation in the KP Assembly through the amendment.