CGPA Welcomes Passing Of KP-Fata Merger Bill From Parliament

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th May, 2018 ) :Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA) here Friday welcomed the passage of 31st Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Parliament for merging Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA, and extending Parliament's jurisdiction to all federally administered and provincially administered tribal areas.

Mohammad Anwar, Executive Director CGPA, said the amendment bill is a very welcome step for ensuring right of democratic representation of all hitherto tribal areas in the country by doing away with Article 247 of Constitution of Pakistan, said a press statement.

After the passage of bill in Parliament and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Fata will have provincial representation for the first time in history. The amendment bill, extending parliament and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly jurisdiction to FATA will effectively bring it into the legal and legislative framework of Pakistan, he maintained.

After this landmark constitutional amendment, he said, the tribal areas will come under the jurisdiction of the respective provincial assemblies.

Therefore, for the time in history, Members of Provincial Assemblies for the Provincial Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) will be able to enact laws for their respective Constituencies.

Similarly, the amendment bill will also ensure Parliament's jurisdiction over these provincially administered tribal areas. Muhammad Anwar argued that the constitutional amendment bill is very important step for ensuring that all citizens of Pakistan have equal access to justice and everyone democratic representational rights are fully protected.

"The tribal areas in Pakistan had left with huge legislative and legal gaps owing to lack of parliament and provincial assemblies' jurisdiction over these tribal areas." CGPA official said this was long overdue for completing the constitutional gaps vis-�-vis tribal areas, and after the passage of the 31 constitutional amendment bill, there will be no 'tribal' areas which is again a very good step and for completing the incomplete agenda of the state building.