Bill on continuation of laws in ex-Pata deferred after reservations

PESHAWAR: A bill related to continuation of laws in the erstwhile Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata) was deferred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday after opposition benches showed reservations over its passage.

Under the proposed law, the Levies force in Malakand Agency or in Pata would be given police powers. The tribal areas and Pata have been merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in pursuance of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution. The proposed bill stated that notwithstanding anything contained in any other law, for the time being in force, all the laws, regulations, rules, notifications and by-laws or any other legal instrument, applicable in the erstwhile Pata shall continue to remain in force until altered, repealed or amended by the competent authority. The opposition leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Muhammad Akram Khan Durrani, asked the chair to refer the bill to the concerned standing committee of the House to remove the reservations of the opposition members. However, the treasury benches insisted on its passage from the House that prompted the opposition benches to walk out from the assembly. The bill was deferred for further consultation in the House.

Pakistan People’s Party Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Malakand division Sahibzada Sanaullah while opposing the proposed law said the extension of the existing laws to Pata would pave the way for the imposition of taxes in there. He said that Pata and Fata had been exempted from taxes for the next five years after the merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Sardar Hussain Babak, Awami National Party (ANP)’s parliamentary party leader hailing from Buner, said the continuation of laws in erstwhile Pata would create confusion about taxes and lead to protests. Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal MPA Malik Zafar Azam and ANP MPA Salahuddin Mohmand had also introduced amendments to the bill.