Matrix Report
When, on May 24 2018, the National Assembly of Pakistan passed a bill to enact the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan and allowed for the merger of FATA with the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, many were taken by surprise with this abrupt, yet pleasantly surprising, initiative. Even though the vote was almost unanimously accepted (229-1), the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party lawmakers walked out of the Assembly in protest as they were against the merger.
Since the merger, many positive developments have taken place in the region paving way for smooth ‘integration’ of the tribal areas with mainstream Pakistan. One such major development is today’s (July 20) election taking place in the new ‘tribal districts’ of former-FATA, formerly known as ‘Agencies’.
On such a landmark occasion both for the region as well as the country, a number of facts are worth considering:
- Today, over 2.8 million registered voters – 1.7 million male and 1.13 million female – will cast ballots for representation in the provincial assembly of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
- According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), a total of 297 candidates are contesting for 16 Provincial Assembly seats, including two female candidates Naheed Afridi of Awami National Party (ANP) and Malasa Bibi of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
- In addition to 16 general seats, there are five reserved seats, four for women and one for minorities.
- Before the 25th Constitutional Amendment, the seven tribal districts had representation only in the National Assembly with 12 seats.
- The 25th Constitutional Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan in May last year paved the way for this historic transition of erstwhile lawless regions to the mainstream Pakistan i.e. constitutional /political integration with the rest of the country.
- The Provincial Election in tribal districts means equal citizenry, access to fundamental civil and judicial rights and most of all identity for the tribes’ men as Pakistani Citizens.
- Before the merger, FATA was governed by the British era draconian Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR) with no fundamental rights to challenge any human rights violation under the local administration.
- Along with traditional major political parties, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League, Jammat – Islami, Jamiat Ulema Islam and Awami National Party. A nationalist movement – Pashtun Tahfuz Movement (PTM) – is also participate in the election. The PTM had clinched two seats in the National Assembly in 2018 Election.
- As per ECP sources, a total of 1,896 polling stations have been set up for polling with 18 District Returning Officers and 16 Returning Officers with a three-layered security. 554 polling stations have been declared sensitive.
As Pakistanis, we hope that these elections take place in an amicable environment and mark the beginning of a new era for a region haunted by colonial legacies, lack of development, conflict and violence.
Copyright Matrix Media
