ISLAMABAD:
More than two months after the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly quietly passed a package of laws that expanded lawmakers’ salaries, allowances and legislative privileges, the legislation has come under renewed public scrutiny after excerpts of the laws resurfaced on social media, sparking criticism and official benefits granting access to passports. privileges.
The controversy centers on two of the three laws passed by the KP Assembly on April 30 – the KP Province (Salaries and Allowances of Members) Bill and the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of KP Bill, 2026.
Although the legislation received the governor’s assent in early May and largely escaped public attention at the time, screenshots of the enacted laws began circulating online this week, reigniting debate over the extent of the benefits given to lawmakers and the implications of some of the new provisions.
The legislative package also contained a law on the speaker’s salary and allowances. While the speaker’s bill was revised following criticism during its passage through the Assembly, the remaining legislation attracted little public discussion after becoming law.
Criticism has primarily focused on the KP Province (Salaries and Allowances of Members) Act and the KP Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities (Amendment) Act, which expand a range of benefits available to legislators while also expanding certain legislative privileges.
Among the provisions drawing criticism are enhanced allowances and benefits for lawmakers, including access to public rest areas, VIP airport lounges, toll exemption, security arrangements and the right to an official passport for members, with the same facility extended to their spouses for life, subject to applicable federal law.
Separately, the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of the KP Assembly (Amendment Act) has also come under scrutiny over provisions relating to legislative privileges. One of its most controversial clauses prescribes imprisonment of up to six months, a fine or both, for publishing proceedings or evidence which the assembly has ordered to be kept confidential. The provision has raised concerns online about its potential implications for media reporting and transparency.
PML-N Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry also criticized the legislation, accusing the provincial government of prioritizing legislators’ privileges over public welfare.
In a post on X, he questioned provisions regarding toll exemptions, official passports, arms licenses and free accommodation in government guesthouses, saying these were not among the pressing issues facing the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Reacting to the controversy, KP Chief Minister’s spokesman Shafi Jan dismissed claims that the provincial assembly had approved blue passports for lawmakers and their spouses or passed a law allowing journalists to be jailed for six months.
He described the reports as “false” and “baseless”, maintained that the issuance of passports falls within the jurisdiction of the federal government and said no such privilege was added under the legislation.
However, the enacted Members’ Salaries and Allowances Act states that members shall be entitled to an official passport, with the same option extended to their spouses for life, subject to the provisions of applicable federal law.
Similarly, the Powers, Privileges and Immunities (Amendment) Act contains a provision providing for imprisonment of up to six months and a fine for the publication of proceedings or evidence which the Assembly has ordered to be kept confidential.
Defending the increase in legislators’ remuneration, Shafi Jan said that the KP legislators remained the lowest paid legislators in the country, drawing a monthly salary of Rs 175,000.
He claimed that lawmakers in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and the National Assembly received significantly higher salaries, maintaining that the legislation merely brought KP lawmakers closer to their counterparts elsewhere.
The controversy has also revived questions about transparency. Despite coming into effect in May, the laws could not be found on the KP Assembly’s official website or in its online archive of legislation when this report was filed, even as excerpts of the laws circulated widely on social media.
Commenting on the issue, the chairman of Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) Ahmad Bilal Mehboob said that salary increases for lawmakers often generate a negative public reaction because politicians generally suffer from a bad public image and many people are unaware of the context behind such increases.
“Being a lawmaker is a full-time job and every lawmaker does not come from a wealthy class. Legislators must therefore have a market salary,” he said.
But Mehboob said some of the newly approved perks were hard to justify.
“For life, diplomatic passports for lawmakers and their families is an unsolicited demand. Similarly, more licenses for prohibited weapons is another unreasonable demand and amounts to seeking a status above the law. Lawmakers should focus on legislation and oversight of the executive branch instead of seeking unfair benefits,” he added.
