The lower house on Monday unanimously passed the 26th Constitution Amendment Bill granting more representation to erstwhile FATA in the provincial and National Assemblies.
The bill has increased the number of seats of erstwhile FATA from 06 to 12 in the National Assembly while 16 to 24 in the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The independent lawmaker Mohsin Dawar from North Waziristan introduced this bill, which was passed by government and opposition with 278 members voted in favor of motion while no one has opposed it.
Interestingly, the bill came at a time where the Election Commission of Pakistan has already scheduled the provincial elections on July 2. Experts have said that this development would delay the election, probably for six months, as the bill would go through due process and the government would also have to carry out delimitations.
Speaking on the floor of the Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the house over consensus on the bill, saying that the FATA people have gone through a difficult time and this bill would send a message that they are as Pakistani as everyone else in the country.
