Pak National Assembly passes FATA-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa merger bill

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 24 (ANI): Pakistan's National Assembly on Thursday passed an amendment bill that clears the the merger between the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Voting on each clause of the bill ended this afternoon. The bill required a two-thirds majority for it to be passed. The passage of the bill came a day after a parliamentary committee gave the green signal.

Two hundred and twenty nine lawmakers voted in favour of the first clause, while 11 opposed it. The second clause was favoured by 229 lawmakers and opposed by three, reports Geo News.

However, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) members walked out of the assembly when voting on clauses started.

The bill on the 31st Amendment of the Constitution was tabled by Law Minister Chaudhry Mehmood Bashir Virk. (ANI)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI