19 new ex-FATA lawmakers to take oath today
K-P Assembly set to take up Kashmir issue, two bills
Lawmakers from the tribal areas say they have yet to receive development funds.
PESHAWAR:
As many as 19 newly-elected candidates from the newly-merged tribal districts will be taking the oath of their seats on Tuesday (today) afternoon as the provincial assembly reconvenes after a break of nearly a month.
This will complete the process for the first-ever, directly elected representatives from the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata) in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly.
The representatives were elected in the historic July 20 elections in the newly-merged tribal districts. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had secured five of the 16 general seats up for grabs while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) had secured three seats. The Awami National Party (ANP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami had secured one seat each.
The remaining six seats were bagged by independents. Of these, three had decided to side with the PTI while the remaining three opted to join the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).
In historic first, ex-FATA goes to polls
Of the five reserved seats, including four for women and one for minorities, the PTI bagged two reserved seats for women and the minorities seat. The JUI-F secured one women’s seat and the BAP secured the last reserved seat for women.
The overall strength of the house has increased from 125 to 146. PTI’s strength in the assembly has increased from 85 to 97, while that of ANP has increased from 11 to 12, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) — which includes both JUI-F and JI — strength has increased from 13 to 17.
The assembly secretariat, meanwhile, has increased the number of seats in the main hall to accommodate the extra lawmakers. Moreover, accommodation has been arranged for the new members in the assembly guest house.
The session was called on a requisition filed to the assembly speaker by the opposition parties. The requisition was based on 16 points.
Guest lists
MPA-elects from the newly-merged tribal districts have provided extended lists of their guests to the K-P Assembly Secretariat for admittance to Tuesday’s session where they will be taking the oath.
However, owing to limited space, assembly officials have requested each of the new MPAs to limit their guest lists to 20 people.
Election fever grips newly-merged tribal districts for July 20 polls
Assembly business
As the K-P Assembly resumes on Tuesday, the house has on its agenda a resolution about the Kashmir issue and bills about drug manufacture, transfer and shipment regulatory bill. The bills were introduced on July 19 in the house.
The bill on drugs recommends the death penalty and a fine of Rs5 million for drug peddlers. For amassing assets from drug money, a sentence of 25 years in prisons has been recommended. Furthermore, the bill also includes crystal methamphetamines (also known as ‘ice’) as an addictive narcotic. Furthermore, the bill calls for setting up a special court to hear drug cases.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2019.
As many as 19 newly-elected candidates from the newly-merged tribal districts will be taking the oath of their seats on Tuesday (today) afternoon as the provincial assembly reconvenes after a break of nearly a month.
This will complete the process for the first-ever, directly elected representatives from the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata) in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly.
The representatives were elected in the historic July 20 elections in the newly-merged tribal districts. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had secured five of the 16 general seats up for grabs while the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) had secured three seats. The Awami National Party (ANP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami had secured one seat each.
The remaining six seats were bagged by independents. Of these, three had decided to side with the PTI while the remaining three opted to join the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).
In historic first, ex-FATA goes to polls
Of the five reserved seats, including four for women and one for minorities, the PTI bagged two reserved seats for women and the minorities seat. The JUI-F secured one women’s seat and the BAP secured the last reserved seat for women.
The overall strength of the house has increased from 125 to 146. PTI’s strength in the assembly has increased from 85 to 97, while that of ANP has increased from 11 to 12, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal’s (MMA) — which includes both JUI-F and JI — strength has increased from 13 to 17.
The assembly secretariat, meanwhile, has increased the number of seats in the main hall to accommodate the extra lawmakers. Moreover, accommodation has been arranged for the new members in the assembly guest house.
The session was called on a requisition filed to the assembly speaker by the opposition parties. The requisition was based on 16 points.
Guest lists
MPA-elects from the newly-merged tribal districts have provided extended lists of their guests to the K-P Assembly Secretariat for admittance to Tuesday’s session where they will be taking the oath.
However, owing to limited space, assembly officials have requested each of the new MPAs to limit their guest lists to 20 people.
Election fever grips newly-merged tribal districts for July 20 polls
Assembly business
As the K-P Assembly resumes on Tuesday, the house has on its agenda a resolution about the Kashmir issue and bills about drug manufacture, transfer and shipment regulatory bill. The bills were introduced on July 19 in the house.
The bill on drugs recommends the death penalty and a fine of Rs5 million for drug peddlers. For amassing assets from drug money, a sentence of 25 years in prisons has been recommended. Furthermore, the bill also includes crystal methamphetamines (also known as ‘ice’) as an addictive narcotic. Furthermore, the bill calls for setting up a special court to hear drug cases.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2019.