ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Thursday ratified the 31st Constitutional Amendment, merging the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber Pkhtunkhwa province.
After signing the bill into law, he congratulated the people of the tribal region on becoming part of the province at a ceremony in Islamabad today.
The President expressed confidence that the merger of Fata with KP would lead to stability in the region.
The ceremony was also attended by Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Barrister Zafarullah and National Security Advisor Nasser Khan Janjua.
On May 27, the KP Assembly endorsed the constitutional amendment already passed by the two house of the Parliament with a two-thirds majority.
The landmark bill brings the tribal borderlands, comprising seven agencies and six frontier regions, to the mainstream.
Tribal people will get representation in the KP Assembly through the amendment. The number of seats in KP Assembly will increase to 145 from existing 124. Fata will be granted 16 general seats, four seats for women and one seat for non-Muslims in KP Assembly.
Elections on these provincial legislature seats shall be held within one year after the general elections 2018. The amendment reduces the number of seats in the National Assembly from 342 to 336.
The members of the National Assembly from Fata to be elected in the 2018 election shall continue till dissolution of the Lower House. According to the constitutional amendment, the number of seats of Senate will be reduced to 96 from existing 104. The existing members of the Senate from FATA shall continue till expiry of their respective terms of office.
The constitution amendment also envisages amendments in article 246 and repeals article 247 which place the tribal areas under the command and control of president.
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