ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari signed on Monday an act allowing introduction of the local government system in Provincially-Administered Tribal Areas (Pata). The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) LG Act, 2012, will be extended to Pata, which comprises five districts — Chitral, Malakand, Swat, Dir and Kohistan.

“Under this decision, local government institutions will be established in Pata,” the president’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, said.

He said a summary had been submitted by the ministry of states and frontier regions stating that the home and tribal affairs department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the approval of the governor, had forwarded the proposal for extension of the local government act to Pata.

The ministry had requested the prime minister to advise the president to accord his approval to the draft notification of the act.

The notification approved by the president reads: “SRO (1)/2012: In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of Article 247 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Governor of the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with the approval of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is pleased to direct that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act, 2012 (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Act No VIII of 2012), as in force in the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa immediately before the issuance of this notification, shall apply to the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas of the Province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with immediate effect.”

Malakand and Swat virtually remained under the control of Taliban for several years. Normalcy returned to the areas after a military operation was launched against militants in 2009.

IPO BILL: The president, on the advice of the prime minister, gave his assent to the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan Bill 2012.

The bill passed by the National Assembly on Oct 8 and by the Senate on Nov 13 was aimed at establishing the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan.

The bill said the government was obligated to ensure adequate protection of intellectual property rights in the country for domestic and international holders alike being signatory to the agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The concepts of IP tribunals and IP advocacy are introduced in the bill to ensure effective protection, management, enforcement and adjudication of intellectual property rights in Pakistan.

CRIMINAL LAW BILL: The president, on the advice of the prime minister, also accorded his assent to the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2012. The bill seeks to criminalise illegal business of and dealing in fake prize bonds.

The bill was first passed by the National Assembly on Nov 11, 2010. The Senate passed the bill on May 3 last year with an amendment and returned it to National Assembly which passed the amended bill on Nov 14 this year.