Parliamentary leaders agree to table delimitation bill in senate on Dec 19

ISLAMABAD: The legislators of major political parties on Friday announced to have reached a consensus on delimitation bill after a parliamentary leaders meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. 

Talking to media, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) senator Aitzaz Ahsan said the delimitation bill will be tabled in upper house of the parliament on December 19.

He said a five-member committee comprising senators Taj Haider, Mushahidullah Khan, Hasil Bizenjo, Mushahid Hussain, and Usman Kakar has been formed to address the grievances of parliamentary leaders with regard to delimitation bill.

Earlier today, a meeting of parliamentary leaders was convened to talk over the delimitation and FATA reforms bills, among other matters of national and regional importance.

Parliamentary leaders from various political parties including Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Awami Muslim League (AML), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) were in attendance.

However, the representatives from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) skipped the huddle.

The leaders discussed the delimitation bill, which has been in pending for over a month now, besides the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) reforms bill and its merger with Khyber Pakthunkhwa (KP).

However, no headway could be made on the FATA-KP merger, which has been delayed since the federal cabinet on March 2 approved the recommendations to bring the tribal areas at par with rest of the country.

Opposition stages walkout in NA over FATA reforms bill

In a National Assembly session on Thursday, the opposition parties staged a walkout in protest over delay in introducing the FATA reforms bill in the parliament.

Opposition leader in house Khursheed Shah said the government wanted to set aside the FATA reforms and its merger with the KP. He said people in the conflict-torn tribal region demanding their rights and the government must concede to their just demands.

On the occasion, another PPP leader Naveed Qamar said the government is being pressurized not to table the FATA reforms bill in the house.

Joining in the arguments, Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami League (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, whose party has been opposing the FATA-KP merger alongside another ruling party ally JUI-F, said his party had no objection on the matter but the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) in the tribal region should be abolished first.