October 28, 2002	Monday	Sha’aban 21,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: The Senate elections in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) will now be held through previous electoral college, as the government has amended the Legal Framework Order (LFO), which had provided that Senators from the Fata would be elected through direct vote.

The amendment introduced in the LFO on late Saturday night has provided that Senators from Fata would be elected according to the existing electoral college as provided in the Constitution i.e., the Fata MNAs would now elect the eight Senators.

The present government had adopted two different election schemes for the election to Senate. Election for eight seats for Fata was to be held through direct election, whereas the remaining 92 Senators by the members of the provincial assemblies.

The government had also proposed direct election to the Senate throughout the country but the proposal was withdrawn after soliciting public comments. It, however, approved the proposal only to the extent of Fata for direct Senate election.

The following constituencies for eight seats in the Senate from Fata had been created: South Waziristan Agency; North Waziristan; Kurram Agency; Orakzai Agency; Khyber Agency; Mohmand Agency; Bajaur Agency and Frontier Regions. These eight Senators were to be elected by the voters of tribal areas residing in Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki, Bannu, Kohat and Peshawar.