KP Assembly passes bill granting autonomy to ETEA

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday approved the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency Bill 2026, giving financial and administrative autonomy to the provincial testing body during a session that also saw a brief but notable voting episode on opposition-backed amendments.

The bill was tabled by Law Minister Aftab Alam. Under the legislation, the Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (ETEA) will function as an autonomous authority with powers to hold screening, recruitment and entrance examinations for government and private institutions across the province. It will also be able to conduct tests for the federal government and other provincial governments through formal agreements.

During proceedings, opposition MPA Aamna Sardar moved a number of amendments. These included proposals concerning classes 4, 6, 7, 17 and 18, stricter punishment for paper leaks, safeguards for the secrecy of examination papers, and a more stringent procedure for appointing the executive director. The government did not accept the proposed changes.

When Speaker Babar Saleem Swati put the amendments to a voice vote, treasury members initially voted in support of the opposition’s move, creating an unexpected situation in the house. The speaker then ordered the vote to be held again to make the assembly’s position clear, after which the amendments were rejected.

Powers under the new law

Under the new law, the agency will have the authority to designate any government or private building as an examination centre. It will also be empowered to impose strict penalties on those found involved in cheating or using unlawful means in examinations.

The legislation further authorises the agency to conduct entry tests for professional colleges and universities, screen candidates for recruitment in the public and private sectors, develop modern testing mechanisms and encourage research-based learning among students.

The agency will be run by a Board of Governors headed by the chief minister. The law also provides for the creation of an endowment fund aimed at ensuring the body’s financial sustainability. In addition, the annual audit report will have to be presented before the provincial assembly.

The newly passed law replaces the 2001 ordinance on educational testing.

Provincial Safety Commission members named

In a separate development, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati approved the names of seven lawmakers for the newly constituted Provincial Safety Commission.

According to a notification issued by the K-P Assembly Secretariat, Israr Safi has been named chairman of the commission. The other members are Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi, government lawmaker Munir Hussain Laghmani, PML-N’s Zarshad Khan, PPP’s Ahmed Kundi, ANP’s Muhammad Nisar Baz and PML-N’s Faiza Malik.

The bill’s passage marks the formal replacement of the previous legal framework governing educational testing in the province and introduces a new structure for the functioning, oversight and financing of ETEA.