*ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan has responded to the merger of the FederallyAdministrated Tribal Areas of Pakistan into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinceof Pakistan.*
*Afghanistan government has rejected the merger of the FATA into the KPprovince declaring it as against consensus of the people of FATA, PajhwokNews has reported.*
*The disgusting response has surfaced in the backdrop of the illogical viewof the Afghanistan government which says that the Durand Line is not therecognised border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.*
Earlier a day after the National Assembly passed the historic 31stAmendment Bill, paving the way for the merger of Federally AdministeredTribal Areas (Fata) with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the Senate on Friday endorsedthe bill and passed it with a significant majority.
During voting, 71 Upper House members voted in favour while five Senatorsfrom the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) opposed it. The bill neededa total of 69 votes to pass. PkMAP Senators also staged a walkout.
After getting approval from both houses of the Parliament, the bill willnow be presented before the K-P assembly.
Taking the floor, senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Raza Rabbaniclaimed the lawmakers did not act on their own in terms of the reformsbill, rather they acted as ‘puppets’. “Although it is a positive step, itwould have been better if the initiative had been taken by the Parliament.”
“We had proposed reforms in 2009 through the office of then President AsifAli Zardari but we were stopped.”
Reflecting on the recent commotion over a separate province in Sindh,Rabbani warned that even though the Lower House of the Parliament hadasserted that the 31st Amendment Bill shall lead to more administrativeunits, “division of provinces on the basis of administrative needs will notbe allowed.”
“Every province has a heritage, language, culture and history – a newprovince will not be allowed without the presence of such ingredients.”
Contradicting Rabbani’s statement that the parliament was acting on‘directives’ instead of relying on itself, Leader of the Opposition SherryRehman said: “At least PPP has its own history and struggle to proveotherwise.”
Rehman maintained that the first committee on Fata was constituted byZulfikar Ali Bhutto. “Benazir Bhutto even moved the top court for therights of the people of the tribal areas.”
Voting in favour of the bill, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P)senator Barrister Saif pointed out that certain articles had beencircumvented.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Chief Sirajul Haq stressed that the merger willstrengthen K-P with additional representation in the Parliament. Condemningthe Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), he said a British officer had termedthe law “worst”.
Opposing the bill, JUI-F’s Ghafoor Hyderi said there was no logic in thedecision. “Since the matter is about the people of Fata and their identity,they should have been asked what they wanted. There were three betteroptions: separate province, repealing of FCR or a council system.”
Meanwhile, PkMAP’s Usman Kakar alleged that the bill was passed in a hurrydue to the uncertainty of the upcoming general polls. “I can guarantee thatelections will not be taking place.”
Ahead of the Senate session, PPP parliamentary committee reviewed itsstrategy on the reforms bill for Fata. Rehman, while chairing the meeting,directed all party Senators to ensure their presence in the Upper House ofthe Parliament. The meeting was attended by Senators including RazaRabbani, Rehman Malik, Sassi Palejo, Maula Baksh Chandio, Rubina Khalid,Krishna Kumari and others.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreeke-e-Insaf also decided to demonstrate fullstrength during the session. “Everyone will attend the session on Fatareforms bill on special directions by chairman Imran Khan,” said FaisalJaved Khan.