SC, high courts jurisdiction to Fata

ISLAMABAD: In a major step, the government is introducing a legislation to bring the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) within the purview of the Supreme Court and High Courts.

The bills for the purpose would be placed before the National Assembly on Monday (today) for adoption.

Well-placed parliamentary sources told The News that an important legislation work, including the Fata related issues, had been made part of the agenda for the day.

In the absence of federal minister for law and justice after Zahid Hamid tendered his resignation last month, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmad is likely to pilot the bill in the House.

In case the bills are adopted by the House, the same would be forwarded to the Senate that would also be meeting in the evening.

According to sources, the minister will move under Rule 288 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 that the requirement of sub-rule (2) of rule 123 of the said rules be dispensed with in order to take into consideration the bill to extend the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court to the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas [The Supreme Court and High Court (Extension of Jurisdiction to Federally Administered Tribal Areas) Bill, 2017].

Chairman Standing Committee on Law and Justice Chaudhary Mahmood Bashir Virk will move before legislation that delay in the presentation of report of the standing committee on the bill to extend the jurisdiction of Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court to the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas [The Supreme Court and High Court (Extension of Jurisdiction to Federally Administered Tribal Areas) Bill, 2017], till today be condoned.

The chairman will present the report. It is expected that Prime Minster Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will also be present in the House during the legislation in question, the sources hinted.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Mumtaz Ahmad Tarar will move a bill further to amend the Women in Distress and Detention Fund Act, 1996 [The Women in Distress and Detention Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017], as reported by the Standing Committee, and request that it be taken into consideration at once.

Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Baloch will move that the bill further to amend the Rulers of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) Order, 1972 [The Rulers of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2017], as reported by the Standing Committee, be taken into consideration at once. (Amendment entered in a separate list to be moved).

The same minister will move that the bill further to amend the Rulers of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) Order, 1972 [The Rulers of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2017], be passed.

Meanwhile, a discussion will also take place on a motion moved by Shaikh Aftab Ahmed, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, that “This House expresses its deep gratitude to the President of Pakistan for his address to both Houses assembled together on 1st June, 2017”, the sources added.