FATA bill: Opposition’s NA boycott enters fourth day

Members vow to not to attend proceedings until reforms bill brought back on house agenda

ISLAMABAD: The opposition on Wednesday continued its boycott of the National Assembly proceedings protesting against the withdrawal of the bill pertaining to the reforms in the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) from the agenda of the house.

It was the fourth consecutive day when the opposition walked out of the house. The members vowed to continue their boycott until the government tabled the Fata Reforms Bill in the National Assembly.

The government was supposed to table the reforms bill in the house on Monday but pulled it out from the agenda for “technical reasons”.



On a point of order, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentary leader Syed Naveed Qamar said that as per agreement of the opposition parties, “we will not attend the proceedings until inclusion of the Fata Reform Bill” in the agenda.

“This is a principled stance of all political parties, not to attend the proceedings of the National Assembly, and we will follow it,” he told the house.

Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that Fata Reforms Bill was a serious issue. He added that never before a bill had been taken out once it was made part of the agenda.

“It was the unanimous decision of the whole nation to table the Fata Reform Bill in Parliament… so why is this bill being made controversial,” he questioned. He requested the speaker to find out a solution to “this very important issue”.

Rana Ishaq, on a point of order, raised the issue of problems facing the sugarcane growers and asked the government to ensure Rs180 per maund price to the farmers.