ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Monday unanimously passed a resolution to amend Article 247 of the Constitution in order to enable Parliament to enact legislation for extending the Supreme Court and high courts jurisdiction to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to protect fundamental rights of the people there.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar, who moved the resolution in the House, said under Article 247-7, the Supreme Court and high courts could not make recommendations for Fata.

“There are no rules to protect the rights of the people of Fata, even elected members from the areas never raised their voice for the tribals,” he added.

He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly had also passed the resolution on May 7, 2012 that Article 247 should be amended so the people of Fata could take legal remedies from the superior courts.

“The high courts have also recommended that Article 247 should be amended,” he added.

Babar said without amending the article, legislation put forward by the federal government for the whole country could not be extended to Fata.

Leader of the House Raja Zafar-ul-Haq said the reforms were a genuine demand of the people of Fata and the government.

He suggested that the resolution should be referred to the committee concerned for deliberations.

Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid said, “We support the people of Fata.”

Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash said after 67 years, people of the tribal areas were still facing problems and that the resolution would help address their problems.