KP Assembly unanimously demands merger of Fata with KP

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Friday unanimously demanded the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The resolution for the purpose moved by Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Imtiaz Shahid was also carrying the signatures of Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan, Minister for Auqaf & Religious Affairs Habibur Rehman, Nighat Yasmin Orakzai, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Sardar Hussain Babak, Mohammad Arif Ahmadzai and Abdul Munim Khan.
The assembly started proceeding after a two-day break with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair though treasury benches were once again empty as very few were attending the house. But, no one pinpointed the quorum.
Through the resolution the provincial assembly demanded of the federal government to implement the proposed reforms for Fata and make the reforms as part of the constitution of Pakistan. The Speaker put the resolution to vote and the house adopted the resolution unanimously.
However, Mufti Said Janan of JUI-F took the floor to announce their opposition. He termed the merger of Fata into KP a long process and said the moving of such resolution without consultation was not understandable. He said the people of Fata were rendering sacrifices against terrorism.
The JUI-F legislator said Fata could not be merged into KP through passing merely resolutions and maintained that they would oppose any such step taken sans consultations with tribesmen.
Meanwhile, the provincial assembly also unanimously passed KP Employees of the Elementary and Secondary Education Department (Appointment and Regularization of Services) Bill, 2017 to regularize of the certain employees appointed on adhoc or contract basis or appointed in certain projects in the Elementary and Secondary Education Department in the province.
The bill was moved for taking into consideration by Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan. The provincial government also accepted the identical amendment of Mohammad Arif Ahmadzai of PTI and Mufti Fazal Ghafoor of the JUI-F for giving seniority and other incentives from the day of the appointment of the concerned employees.
During the proceedings Nighat Yasmin Orakzai of PPP also raised the issue of the murder of a woman in District Nowshera and said police was terming her death as suicide. She demanded the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) comprising representatives of ISI and IB to investigate the death. However, Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi opposed the constitution of joint team, saying after the registration of FIR no step tantamount to affecting the investigation can be taken.
Meraj Hamayun Khan of QWP took the floor to express dissatisfaction over the reply of the Minister for Law and called for the presentation of police report on the incident in the house.
Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, another QWP legislator said that so far the matter was not subjudice so there was no bar on the constitution of the house committee over the issue. The Minister for Law reiterated his stand that no committee could be constituted during the investigation however the report of police could be called.
Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education, Mohammad Atif Khan also supported the contentions of the fellow women legislators. For the satisfaction of the house, he directed the sharing of the police report with the legislators. Speaker Asad Qaiser, later, adjourned the proceedings of the house till 3:00pm of January 15, 2018.