PESHAWAR: The number of seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will increase to 147 from the current 126 after the merger of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) into the northern province.

The proposed 30th Amendment of the Constitution will be taken up by the National Assembly's Standing Committee for Law and Justice for approval. The general seats of the provincial assembly will increase from 99 to 117, the bills states.

Moreover, the seats for women have been increased from 22 to 26, while religious minorities’ seats from three to four.

According to the sub-section of the bill, FATA will be granted 18 general seats, four seats for women and one for religious minority.

Moreover, FATA’s 12 seats in National Assembly will be merged in KP Assembly and KP seats will increase from 48 to 60 in the National Assembly.

Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch in his statement of objects and reasons said that the federal cabinet in its decision on March 2, 2017, approved the integration of FATA with the province of KP.

"FATA being a part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after such integration will require its representation in the provincial assembly of the province," he said, adding that the seats for FATA have been created in KP assembly according to its population.

"Creation of such seats is also of paramount importance for the fact that, if delayed, it will not only hamper the integration or the mainstreaming of FATA but also neglect a favourable opportunity, which might become a distant possibility before the next general elections 2023," he added.