New KP law gives Assembly speaker arrest immunity, official transport perks

PESHAWAR: A newly notified Khyber Pakhtunkhwa law has granted wide-ranging privileges to the provincial assembly’s speaker and deputy speaker, including immunity from arrest or detention, protection of their official residences from searches or raids, and access to multiple official vehicles.

Under the Act, now available on the assembly website after its gazette notification, the speaker and deputy speaker will each be entitled to two official vehicles. The speaker will additionally be allowed the use of one armoured vehicle.

The law also bars any law-enforcement agency from searching, entering or raiding their official residences. Both officeholders will enjoy immunity from arrest or detention under the legislation.

For official travel, the speaker and deputy speaker will be entitled to business-class air tickets for themselves and their children. They may also take two private attendants, who will travel in economy class.

The speaker has further been authorised to use a government helicopter, aircraft or a Pakistan Air Force helicopter for official duties. If official residences are not provided, both officeholders will receive alternative accommodation payments as determined by the Finance Committee.

They may retain official residences during their term and for 15 days after retirement. The speaker may continue using the residence until a new speaker is elected by the succeeding assembly.

The Act empowers the Finance Committee to increase their salaries. It also provides for payments, in amounts approved by the committee, to legal heirs in the event of death in an accident, or to the officeholder in case of injury.

Some provisions floated in earlier drafts were not retained in the final law. Those drafts had proposed a Grade-17 secretary, cook and driver for the speaker and deputy speaker, but these clauses were dropped from the notified version.