KP speaker sends disputed lawmakers’ privileges law clauses to committee

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has referred contested provisions of a recently enacted law on lawmakers’ powers, immunities and privileges to the house’s standing committee for review, after criticism from the media and the public.

The legislation, passed by the provincial assembly in April as the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, expanded benefits and protections for members. According to the measure, lawmakers and their spouses were to receive blue passports, members could obtain arms licences, they would have blanket immunity from preventive detention, and the speaker’s permission would be required before arresting an assembly member on criminal charges.

The move drew strong criticism, prompting Chief Minister Sohail Afridi last week to order a review of the law. KP Information Minister Shafi Jan had also said the government would withdraw the contentious clauses and restore the law in line with the 1988 act.

Committee asked to revisit disputed provisions

Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar, Jan said the act had been under discussion for several days and concerns had been raised by journalists, the wider public and PTI workers over some of its provisions. He said the chief minister, after taking note of those concerns, convened a provincial cabinet meeting.

Jan said a subsequent meeting was held under the assembly speaker’s chairmanship on the chief minister’s directives, with parliamentary leaders of all political parties and the opposition leader in attendance. After hearing the participants’ views, he said, the speaker directed that the disputed clauses be sent back to the Standing Committee on Privileges.

The minister said the same committee had originally presented the bill and would now review the controversial provisions within a week and bring them into conformity with the 1988 law. He added that journalists and members of the public would also be able to submit recommendations.

At the press conference, Jan said most parts of the 2026 law matched the 1988 act, except for the provision concerning blue passports. He said the draft approved by the provincial cabinet did not include any clause extending blue passport facilities to members’ spouses or children, nor did it make the entitlement lifelong.

He said the governor signed the bill on May 6 and it was notified in the official Gazette on May 7, adding that no objections had been raised at that stage.

Jan also linked the controversy to another issue, saying “Following consultations with the speaker of the provincial assembly, it was decided that the controversial clauses should be withdrawn for reconsideration”.

He further claimed “The issue has been deliberately highlighted to divert attention from the case involving Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s grandson,”

The information minister said both PTI and the provincial government had reservations about the pace of the investigation into that incident and would not allow the matter to be sidelined. He also said similar amendments had already been introduced in Sindh and Punjab without triggering the same level of debate.

Giving figures on blue passports, Jan stated:“Only 992 blue passports have been issued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas approximately 56,000 have been issued across the country,”

He demanded that complete national data on blue passport issuance be made public.