Islamabad (Web Desk): The National Assembly (NA) on Monday unanimously approved the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill which increases the number of seats for the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the NA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Under the bill, the number of NA seats from the erstwhile FATA will be increased to 12 from 6. In the KP Assembly, seats will be increased to 24 from 16.
Introduced by lawmaker Mohsin Dawar on May 10, the bill was passed today with 278 votes and after comments from representatives of all parties.
NA Speaker Asad Qaiser called for a vote on the bill. The government and the opposition members jointly voted on the bill today. In order to jointly vote for the passage of the bill, two-thirds members of the NA is required.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also attended the proceedings of the Lower House.
Speaking on the floor on this occasion, the PM expressed his appreciation over the consensus between all parties on recommendations for the bill.
Imran Khan said that the FATA people have been living a difficult life and this bill will tell the people that they are as Pakistani as everyone in the country.
He urged all provinces to give three per cent from their NFC share for the development of the erstwhile Fata areas.
This is pertinent to mention that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already issued the schedule for the elections on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly's seats in tribal districts which will be held on July 2.
