Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain today signed a landmark constitutional amendment bill to merge restive tribal region along the Afghan border with the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, bringing an end to the 150-year-old British-era arrangement.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly, the Senate and KP Assembly before being sent to the president for formal approval.

After signing the bill, the president congratulated the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Geo TV reported.

The bill amends several Articles of the Constitution including Article 1 that defines the territory of Pakistani federation.

The law was signed on the last day of the present government as its five-year tenure will end at midnight.&nbsp;

President Hussain congratulated the people of FATA and said the merger would open up an era of prosperity and development for its people and help them progress in all spheres of life.&nbsp;

He said the nation needed to work together to fully benefit from this historic opportunity.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who played a key role in bringing consensus to pass the amendment in the National Assembly had said that it will "change the 150-year-old system in the tribal areas." 
 
The Head of the FATA Reforms Committee Sartaj Aziz said following the constitutional amendment the people of the federally administered tribal areas were now mainstreamed and would enjoy equal rights like other citizens of the country.

He said all the agencies of FATA would now convert into districts and the assistant political agents would now serve as deputy commissioners.&nbsp;

He said Rs 1 trillion would be spent on the development of the area over a period of next ten years. Of the total amount, 25 per cent would be spent through the local bodies for the development of infrastructure in health, education, roads, communications and other projects.&nbsp;

The amendment abolished more than century old and the draconian law called Frontiers Crimes Regulation which prescribed collective responsibility of family and tribe for crimes committed by a single individual.

The semi-autonomous tribal region was created by British colonizer as a buffer zone to avoid direct conflict with Afghanistan.

It consists of seven districts - Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan - which stretch along the border with Afghanistan, and became known in the world due to the presence of militants who fled the porous border after US forces invaded Afghanistan post-9/11.

These seven districts are home to some eight million residents, mainly ethnic Pashtuns.

Pakistan forces launched repeated military operation to clear the area of rebels and dismantle their hideouts which were used to launch attack in the country and Afghanistan.

&nbsp;

The bill was passed by the National Assembly, the Senate and KP Assembly before being sent to the president for formal approval.

Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain today signed a landmark constitutional amendment bill to merge restive tribal region along the Afghan border with the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, bringing an end to the 150-year-old British-era arrangement. The bill was passed by the National Assembly, the Senate and KP Assembly before being sent to the president for formal approval. After signing the bill, the president congratulated the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Geo TV reported. The bill amends several Articles of the Constitution including Article 1 that defines the territory of Pakistani federation. The law was signed on the last day of the present government as its five-year tenure will end at midnight. President Hussain congratulated the people of FATA and said the merger would open up an era of prosperity and development for its people and help them progress in all spheres of life. He said the nation needed to work together to fully benefit from this historic opportunity. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who played a key role in bringing consensus to pass the amendment in the National Assembly had said that it will "change the 150-year-old system in the tribal areas." The Head of the FATA Reforms Committee Sartaj Aziz said following the constitutional amendment the people of the federally administered tribal areas were now mainstreamed and would enjoy equal rights like other citizens of the country. He said all the agencies of FATA would now convert into districts and the assistant political agents would now serve as deputy commissioners. He said Rs 1 trillion would be spent on the development of the area over a period of next ten years. Of the total amount, 25 per cent would be spent through the local bodies for the development of infrastructure in health, education, roads, communications and other projects. The amendment abolished more than century old and the draconian law called Frontiers Crimes Regulation which prescribed collective responsibility of family and tribe for crimes committed by a single individual. The semi-autonomous tribal region was created by British colonizer as a buffer zone to avoid direct conflict with Afghanistan. It consists of seven districts - Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan - which stretch along the border with Afghanistan, and became known in the world due to the presence of militants who fled the porous border after US forces invaded Afghanistan post-9/11. These seven districts are home to some eight million residents, mainly ethnic Pashtuns. Pakistan forces launched repeated military operation to clear the area of rebels and dismantle their hideouts which were used to launch attack in the country and Afghanistan.

Pakistan's tribal areas merges with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after constitutional amendment bill

Pakistani cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan's party vowed&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;to oust the country's "corrupt" rulers, as the nuclear-armed state announced it will hold general elections on&nbsp;July 25.

The poll will bring to head political tensions that have been building since former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court on corruption charges and later barred from politics for life.

Khan is hoping to achieve a years-long dream of leading the country as its prime minister, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the main challenger to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which was headed by Sharif until his ban.

PTI leaders have said they are confident they will be able to defeat the PML-N.

"The Pakistani nation... can see the dawn of a new Pakistan, which will not be ruled by the corrupt," the party said in a statement posted&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;on Twitter along with a graphic that read "Mafia's Game Over".

"Stop us if you can," it said in another tweet.

The bullish comments came after Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain&nbsp;on Saturday&nbsp;approved&nbsp;July 25&nbsp;as the date for the elections, which offer the prospect of what would be only the second-ever democratic transfer of power in the South Asian country.

The current government, led by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, is expected to hand over power to a caretaker administration in the coming days.

Despite Sharif's ouster, the ruling party says it has invested in improving Pakistan's rickety infrastructure and attracted billions of dollars in Chinese investment. It has also denied allegations of graft against its leadership by opponents like Khan.

PTI has vowed to fight corruption, presenting itself as a polar opposite of what it calls status-quo politicians.

Since he was ousted, Sharif and the PML-N have become increasingly vocal in their confrontation with the country's powerful military establishment and the courts, claiming there is a conspiracy afoot to reduce the party's power.

Sharif was the 15th prime minister in Pakistan's seven-decade history -- roughly half of it under military rule -- to be removed before completing a full term.

The country saw its first ever democratic transfer of power following elections in 2013, which the PML-N won by a landslide.

"This is the second consecutive parliament to complete its tenure and we are now looking forward to... (going) to the people to get their verdict on our performance," Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told AFP.

Despite the numerous court rulings against the PML-N, the party has won a string of recent by-elections, proving it will likely remain a powerful force.

It continues to enjoy large swathes of support in Punjab, the country's most populous province but will enter the election under increasing pressure.

In April, a Pakistan court disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for violating the country's election laws, while Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was shot in the arm in a suspected assassination attempt by an Islamist gunman earlier this month.

Sharif also sparked a firestorm after suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, approaching what is seen as a red line in the country by touching on criticism of Pakistan's military.

The current government, led by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, is expected to hand over power to a caretaker administration in the coming days

Pakistani cricket star-turned-politician Imran Khan's party vowed Sunday to oust the country's "corrupt" rulers, as the nuclear-armed state announced it will hold general elections on July 25. The poll will bring to head political tensions that have been building since former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court on corruption charges and later barred from politics for life. Khan is hoping to achieve a years-long dream of leading the country as its prime minister, and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is the main challenger to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which was headed by Sharif until his ban. PTI leaders have said they are confident they will be able to defeat the PML-N. "The Pakistani nation... can see the dawn of a new Pakistan, which will not be ruled by the corrupt," the party said in a statement posted Sunday on Twitter along with a graphic that read "Mafia's Game Over". "Stop us if you can," it said in another tweet. The bullish comments came after Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday approved July 25 as the date for the elections, which offer the prospect of what would be only the second-ever democratic transfer of power in the South Asian country. The current government, led by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, is expected to hand over power to a caretaker administration in the coming days. Despite Sharif's ouster, the ruling party says it has invested in improving Pakistan's rickety infrastructure and attracted billions of dollars in Chinese investment. It has also denied allegations of graft against its leadership by opponents like Khan. PTI has vowed to fight corruption, presenting itself as a polar opposite of what it calls status-quo politicians. Since he was ousted, Sharif and the PML-N have become increasingly vocal in their confrontation with the country's powerful military establishment and the courts, claiming there is a conspiracy afoot to reduce the party's power. Sharif was the 15th prime minister in Pakistan's seven-decade history -- roughly half of it under military rule -- to be removed before completing a full term. The country saw its first ever democratic transfer of power following elections in 2013, which the PML-N won by a landslide. "This is the second consecutive parliament to complete its tenure and we are now looking forward to... (going) to the people to get their verdict on our performance," Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told AFP. Despite the numerous court rulings against the PML-N, the party has won a string of recent by-elections, proving it will likely remain a powerful force. It continues to enjoy large swathes of support in Punjab, the country's most populous province but will enter the election under increasing pressure. In April, a Pakistan court disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for violating the country's election laws, while Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was shot in the arm in a suspected assassination attempt by an Islamist gunman earlier this month. Sharif also sparked a firestorm after suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, approaching what is seen as a red line in the country by touching on criticism of Pakistan's military.

Imran Khan eyes victory as Pakistan announces elections on July 25

Pakistan will hold general elections on July 25, a presidential spokesman said Saturday, offering the prospect of what would be only the second ever democratic transfer of power in the nuclear-armed country.

"The president has approved July 25 as the date for holding general elections in the country," a spokesman from Mamnoon Hussain's office told AFP.

The announcement comes as the current government enters its final week in office. It is expected to hand over power to a caretaker administration in the coming days.

Turmoil continues to rock the country after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court last July on corruption charges and later barred from politics for life.

Sharif was the 15th prime minister in Pakistan's seven-decade history -- roughly half of it under military rule -- to be removed before completing a full term.

After Sharif was ousted from power, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party (PML-N) took over the premiership.

Pakistan completed its first ever democratic transfer of power following elections in 2013, when the government headed by the Pakistan People's Party handed over to the PML-N, following a landslide victory.

"This is the second consecutive parliament to complete its tenure and we are now looking forward to go to the people to get their verdict on our performance," Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told AFP.

Increasing pressure

The general elections are expected to pit the PML-N against its main rival, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party led by former cricket star Imran Khan.

PTI is vowing to clean up the country’s rampant corruption, while investing in education and healthcare as Khan inches closer to his years-long dream of leading the country as prime minister.

With Sharif out, the PML-N continue to boast of their investment in the country’s rickety infrastructure and courting billions of dollars in Chinese investment.

Since he was ousted, Sharif and the PML-N have become increasingly vocal in their confrontation with the country’s military establishment and courts, claiming they are victims of a conspiracy to reduce the power of their party.

Despite the numerous court rulings against the PML-N, the party has won a string of recent by-elections proving it will likely remain a powerful force.

The PML-N continues to enjoy large swathes of support in the country's most populous Punjab province, but will enter the election under increasing pressure.&nbsp

In April, a Pakistan court disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for violating the country's election laws, while interior minister Ahsan Iqbal was shot in the arm in a suspected assassination attempt in early May by an Islamist gunman.&nbsp

Sharif also sparked a firestorm earlier this month after suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, approaching what is seen as a red line in the country by touching on criticism of Pakistan's armed forces.

There have been increasing fears that media outlets are under heavy pressure from the security establishment heading into the elections, spurring accusations of self censorship by Pakistan's leading television news broadcasters. &nbsp

Pakistan will hold general elections on July 25, a presidential spokesman said Saturday, offering the prospect of what would be only the second ever democratic transfer of power in the nuclear-armed country

Pakistan will hold general elections on July 25, a presidential spokesman said Saturday, offering the prospect of what would be only the second ever democratic transfer of power in the nuclear-armed country. "The president has approved July 25 as the date for holding general elections in the country," a spokesman from Mamnoon Hussain's office told AFP. The announcement comes as the current government enters its final week in office. It is expected to hand over power to a caretaker administration in the coming days. Turmoil continues to rock the country after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court last July on corruption charges and later barred from politics for life. Sharif was the 15th prime minister in Pakistan's seven-decade history -- roughly half of it under military rule -- to be removed before completing a full term. After Sharif was ousted from power, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party (PML-N) took over the premiership. Pakistan completed its first ever democratic transfer of power following elections in 2013, when the government headed by the Pakistan People's Party handed over to the PML-N, following a landslide victory. "This is the second consecutive parliament to complete its tenure and we are now looking forward to go to the people to get their verdict on our performance," Finance Minister Miftah Ismail told AFP. Increasing pressure The general elections are expected to pit the PML-N against its main rival, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party led by former cricket star Imran Khan. PTI is vowing to clean up the country’s rampant corruption, while investing in education and healthcare as Khan inches closer to his years-long dream of leading the country as prime minister. With Sharif out, the PML-N continue to boast of their investment in the country’s rickety infrastructure and courting billions of dollars in Chinese investment. Since he was ousted, Sharif and the PML-N have become increasingly vocal in their confrontation with the country’s military establishment and courts, claiming they are victims of a conspiracy to reduce the power of their party. Despite the numerous court rulings against the PML-N, the party has won a string of recent by-elections proving it will likely remain a powerful force. The PML-N continues to enjoy large swathes of support in the country's most populous Punjab province, but will enter the election under increasing pressure. In April, a Pakistan court disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif for violating the country's election laws, while interior minister Ahsan Iqbal was shot in the arm in a suspected assassination attempt in early May by an Islamist gunman. Sharif also sparked a firestorm earlier this month after suggesting Pakistani militants were behind the 2008 Mumbai attacks, approaching what is seen as a red line in the country by touching on criticism of Pakistan's armed forces. There have been increasing fears that media outlets are under heavy pressure from the security establishment heading into the elections, spurring accusations of self censorship by Pakistan's leading television news broadcasters.

Pakistan announces general elections on July 25

An eleven-year-old boy has sued the office of Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain for &#39;stealing&#39; his speech.

Mohammad Sabeel Haider, the petioner, said he had written a speech that he was to give to mark the&nbsp;141st birth anniversary of Mohammad Ali Jinnah,&nbsp;Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.

Haider, a sixth grader at Islamabad Model College for Boys, was earmarked to give the speech that was to be aired on Pakistan Television on December 25.

But when he reached the President&#39;s House, he was told he would not give the speech. Instead, a tenth-grade girl was chosent to deliver the speech. But her speech was exactly what Haider had written.

Haider said he also skipped his mid-term exams to prepare for the speech.

However, the court&#39;s judgement has been reserved.

(WION)

&nbsp;

Mohammad Sabeel Haider said an orator picked by the President's Office used his speech on the 141st birth anniversary of Mohammad Ali Jinnah

An eleven-year-old boy has sued the office of Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain for 'stealing' his speech. Mohammad Sabeel Haider, the petioner, said he had written a speech that he was to give to mark the 141st birth anniversary of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. Haider, a sixth grader at Islamabad Model College for Boys, was earmarked to give the speech that was to be aired on Pakistan Television on December 25. But when he reached the President's House, he was told he would not give the speech. Instead, a tenth-grade girl was chosent to deliver the speech. But her speech was exactly what Haider had written. Haider said he also skipped his mid-term exams to prepare for the speech. However, the court's judgement has been reserved. (WION)

Sixth grader sues Pakistan President's Office for 'stealing' speech

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Pakistan's tribal areas merges with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa after constitutional amendment bill

Imran Khan eyes victory as Pakistan announces elections on July 25

Pakistan announces general elections on July 25

Sixth grader sues Pakistan President's Office for 'stealing' speech