Eleanor Finch
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, passed in May 2018, is a landmark piece of legislation that seeks to integrate the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The amendment changes eight articles of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, eliminating the separate status of FATA and PATAs and providing for their territorial integration with KP and Balochistan. It also amends the allocation of seats in the national and provincial assemblies and repeals the Frontier Crimes Regulation. The 25th Amendment addresses previous shortcomings in legal and constitutional reforms in FATA, marking a significant step towards the mainstreaming of the tribal areas and their people into mainland Pakistan.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date passed | 27 May 2018 |
| Passed by | Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly |
| Number of votes received | 87 |
| Number of votes required | 83 |
| Articles changed | 8 |
| Articles amended | 1, 51, 59, 106, 155, 246, 247 |
| Articles repealed | 247 |
| Purpose | To establish a uniform regulatory foundation for the FATA |
| Goal | To integrate and mainstream tribal areas and their people in mainland Pakistan |
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What You'll Learn
- The 25th Amendment merges the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
- It abolishes the special status of FATA
- It amends Article 1 of the Constitution, where the country's territory is defined
- The amendment was passed in May 2018
- It was passed by the Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
The 25th Amendment merges the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan merges the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). This amendment, passed in May 2018, is a significant piece of legislation that seeks to establish a uniform regulatory foundation for the FATA and address previous shortcomings in legal and constitutional reforms in the region.
The merger of FATA with KP has been a long-standing goal, with efforts dating back decades. The discriminatory status of FATA, governed by political officers appointed by the President of Pakistan with near-absolute power, has been a stumbling block for civilian governments attempting reforms. The 25th Amendment eliminates this special status, territorially integrating FATA with KP and PATAs with the provinces of Balochistan and KP.
As a result of the merger, the allocation of seats in the national and provincial assemblies has been adjusted. The 25th Amendment eliminates the 12 seats reserved for FATA in the National Assembly (lower house) and transfers them to KP. Similarly, it removes the eight seats reserved for FATA in the Senate (upper house). To ensure adequate representation for the newly added areas, the number of seats allotted to the KP Provincial Assembly has been increased.
The 25th Amendment also has implications for the judicial system in the region. It extends the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Peshawar High Court to the FATA, abolishing the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). Additionally, a US$865 million package has been allocated for a 10-year plan aimed at rehabilitating and reconstructing infrastructure in the tribal areas.
The process of passing the 25th Amendment was swift, raising concerns about the balance of power between the military and civil authorities. The bill was tabled and passed in federal and provincial legislatures within a matter of hours, with minimal deliberation or debate. Despite this, the amendment represents a significant step towards integrating and mainstreaming the tribal areas and their people into mainland Pakistan.
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It abolishes the special status of FATA
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed by the Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in May 2018. The amendment was passed with 87 votes in favour of the FATA/Khyber Pakhtunkhwa merger.
The 25th Amendment changes eight articles of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. One of the key changes is the abolition of the special status of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). FATA was previously a separate territory from the other four provinces of Pakistan, with its own political officers appointed by the President of Pakistan. These officers held near-absolute power over their tribal districts.
By amending Article 1 of the Constitution, the 25th Amendment integrates FATA with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). This territorial integration effectively abolishes the special status of FATA, bringing it under the jurisdiction of the provincial government of KP.
The abolition of FATA's special status also has implications for the representation of the region in the national assembly and senate. The 25th Amendment eliminates the twelve seats reserved for FATA in the National Assembly (lower house of federal parliament) and transfers them to KP. Similarly, it removes the eight seats reserved for FATA in the Senate (upper house of federal parliament). To ensure adequate representation of the newly added areas, the number of seats allotted to the KP provincial assembly was increased.
The 25th Amendment is considered a progressive piece of legislation that addresses the shortcomings of previous attempts at reforming and mainstreaming FATA. It seeks to establish a uniform regulatory foundation for the region and integrate its people into mainland Pakistan. However, concerns have been raised about the speed at which the amendment was passed and the potential continuation of a brutal legacy in the tribal areas.
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It amends Article 1 of the Constitution, where the country's territory is defined
The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed by the Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in May 2018. The amendment was passed with 87 votes in favour of the merger of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The 25th Amendment changes eight articles of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. One of its key objectives is to amend Article 1, which defines the country's territory. Prior to the amendment, FATA was considered a separate territory from the other four provinces of Pakistan. The amendment seeks to eliminate this distinction and integrate FATA with KP, thereby altering the territorial boundaries of the province.
By amending Article 1, the 25th Amendment establishes a uniform regulatory foundation for FATA, bringing it under the jurisdiction of the provincial government of KP. This change addresses the longstanding calls for legal and constitutional reforms in FATA, which had previously been governed by political officers appointed by the President of Pakistan. These officers held near-absolute power over their tribal districts, continuing a legacy of collective punishment of communities in the tribal areas.
The integration of FATA with KP also has implications for the allocation of seats in the national and provincial assemblies. The amendment abolishes the twelve seats reserved for FATA in the National Assembly (lower house of federal parliament) and transfers them to KP. Similarly, it eliminates the eight seats reserved for FATA in the Senate (upper house of federal parliament). To ensure adequate representation for the newly added areas, the number of seats allotted to the KP provincial assembly is also increased.
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The amendment was passed in May 2018
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed by the Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in May 2018. The amendment was passed swiftly, within a seven-day sprint. On 22 May, the federal cabinet decided to draft a comprehensive bill for the integration of FATA with KP. Two days later, on 24 May, the National Assembly tabled and passed the 25th Amendment bill with 229 votes, just one over the required two-thirds majority. The next day, on 25 May, the Senate passed the bill with 71 votes, again, just two more than the required two-thirds majority.
Since the bill altered the territorial boundaries of KP, the provincial assembly of KP was required to pass the bill with a two-thirds majority. On 27 May, the KP assembly approved the bill with 87 votes in favour of the FATA/KP merger. The following day, on 28 May, President Mamnoon Hussain signed the FATA Interim Governance Regulation, 2018, which outlined how FATA would be governed during the two-year transition period as the region merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The 25th Amendment was a landmark constitutional legislation with far-reaching implications. It sought to establish a uniform regulatory foundation for the FATA. The amendment changes eight articles of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. It eliminates the special status of FATA and integrates it with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as PATAs with the provinces of Balochistan and KP. It also eliminates the seats reserved for FATA in the national and provincial assemblies, transferring them to KP.
The amendment also abolishes the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). A US$865 million package will be allocated to a 10-year plan for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure in the tribal areas.
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It was passed by the Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed by the Parliament of Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly in May 2018. The amendment was passed with a majority in the KP Assembly, with 87 votes in favour of the FATA/KP merger. The bill was passed by the National Assembly on May 24, 2018, with 229 votes, and by the Senate on May 25, 2018, with 71 votes.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment seeks to establish a uniform regulatory foundation for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA). It changes eight articles of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan, including Article 1, which defines the country's territory and previously listed FATA as a separate territory from the other four provinces. The amendment eliminates the special status of FATA and integrates it with KP, while also integrating PATA with the provinces of Balochistan and KP.
The amendment also has implications for the allocation of seats in the national and provincial assemblies. It eliminates the 12 seats reserved for FATA in the National Assembly and the eight seats in the Senate, transferring them to KP. As a result of FATA's integration with KP, the number of seats allotted to the KP Provincial Assembly was also increased to ensure adequate representation for the newly added areas.
The Twenty-fifth Amendment is considered a progressive piece of legislation that addresses the shortcomings of previous attempts to reform and mainstream FATA. However, concerns have been raised about the speed at which the amendment was passed, with limited debate and deliberation in federal and provincial legislatures.
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Frequently asked questions
The 25th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan was passed in May 2018. It seeks to merge the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
The amendment effectively abolished the discriminatory status of FATA, integrating it with mainland Pakistan. It eliminated the 12 seats reserved for FATA in the National Assembly and transferred them to KP.
The 25th Amendment was first proposed in May 2018 and passed by the National Assembly and Senate with a two-thirds majority. The KP Assembly also passed the bill with the required majority, and the President assented to it on 31 May 2018.
