Shafi Jan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati referred a controversial law expanding lawmakers' privileges to a house committee for review. The law, passed in April 2026, grants blue passports, arms licenses, and immunity to lawmakers but faced public and media criticism, prompting Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review. The government aims to align the law with the 1988 Act.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government decided to withdraw controversial clauses from the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, which had expanded lawmakers’ privileges, following public backlash. The law, which included provisions like blue passports, arms licenses, and arrest immunity, will be revised to align with the 1988 law. KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi called for a harmonized national framework to standardize legislators’ privileges across Pakistan.

KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi ordered a review of the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, after public and media backlash. The law grants lawmakers lifetime official passports, immunity from preventive detention, and weapon licenses, with critics arguing it expands privileges. The CM stated amendments would be reviewed in the public interest.