PESHAWAR: Once again, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is under public attack for a set of legislation, which was passed more than two months ago but gives enhanced salary, allowance, and legal protection to members of the Provincial Assembly. The KP Assembly MPA Privileges Law has been under scrutiny once again due to its widespread circulation through social media platforms.
Contents of the Legislations
On 30th April, the KP Assembly enacted three individual legislations that included the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, KP Province Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, and the KP Province (Salaries and Allowances of Members) Act, 2026. On 6th May, Provincial Governor Faisal Karim Kundi gave his assent to all three legislations.
According to the law on the privileges of members of the KP Assembly MPA, both the members and their spouses qualify for lifetime official passport, subject to relevant federal rules. The same law also provides members of parliament with membership in clubs that is equal to that of the government officials and the use of vehicles with tinted windows.
Government Response to the Issue
The issue was further complicated when a spokesman for the KP Chief Minister, Shafi Jan, denied certain allegations on behalf of his office. The spokesman said that the allegation about approval of blue passports for parliamentarians and their families by the assembly was not true, saying that the issue of passport belonged to the federal government rather than the provincial government. He termed the report as baseless.
However, according to the actual text of the law regarding the Members’ Salaries and Allowances Act, Members of Parliament are entitled to an official passport, which is even renewable throughout one’s lifetime to spouses as well, provided that federal law permits this.
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Reaction of Public and Politicians
The criticism has been directed against the timing and extent of the concessions that have been made, in light of the continuing economic problems faced by many citizens of the province. The aspects of the concession that have been criticized include the ones relating to tax concessions on tolls, arms licenses, and free government accommodations.
Larger Perspective
The movement for increased rights of lawmakers is not something that started recently in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Members of the provincial assembly have earlier demanded the provision of the blue passports due to equality with members of the National Assembly and senior civil servants. This particular KP Assembly MPA privileges act incorporates many of these demands into law for the first time.
However, the secretariat of KP Assembly has not uploaded the acts with their respective gazette notifications on its website yet. It is only due to the fact that due to the lack of the provision of complete information, some claims have been verified on social media.
Nayab Fatima is a media professional specializing in fact-based journalism, research, and analytical reporting on technology, telecom, aviation, and automobiles.
