ISLAMABAD:
More than two months after the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly quietly enacted a package of laws expanding 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 over enhanced benefits, official passport rights and provisions related to assembly 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) Act and the KP Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities (Amendment) Act 2026.
Although the legislation received the governor’s approval 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 scope of benefits granted to lawmakers and the implications of some of the new provisions.
The legislative package also included a law regarding speakers’ salaries and benefits. While the president’s bill was revised following criticism during its passage through the Assembly, the remaining legislation attracted little public discussion after becoming law.
Criticism has mainly focused on the KP Province (Salaries and Allowances of Members) Act and the Powers, Privileges and Immunities of the KP Assembly (Amendment) Act, which expand a range of benefits available to legislators while also extending certain legislative privileges.
Among the provisions drawing criticism are increased allowances and benefits for legislators, including access to government rest houses, airport lounges, exemption from toll tax, security provisions and the right to an official passport for members, with the same facility extended to their spouses for life, subject to applicable federal law.
On the other hand, the KP Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities (Amendment) Act has also come under scrutiny for its provisions relating to legislative privilege. One of its most debated clauses prescribes prison sentences of up to six months, a fine, or both, for publishing minutes or evidence that the Assembly has ordered kept confidential. The provision has fueled concerns online about its potential implications for reporting and media transparency.
The PML-N’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, also criticized the legislation and accused the provincial government of prioritizing legislators’ privileges over public welfare.
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Responding to the controversy, KP Chief Minister’s spokesperson Shafi Jan rejected 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.
Describing the reports as “false” and “baseless”, he maintained that the issuance of passports falls within the jurisdiction of the federal government and said such a privilege had not been added under the legislation.
However, the enacted Member Salaries and Benefits Law provides that members will be entitled to an official passport, with the same facility 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 prescribing imprisonment of up to six months and a fine for publishing records or evidence that the Assembly has ordered to be kept confidential.
Defending the increase in legislators’ remuneration, Shafi Jan said KP legislators remained the lowest paid legislators in the country, receiving a monthly salary of Rs 175,000.
He argued that lawmakers from Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and the National Assembly received significantly higher salaries, and maintained that the legislation simply brought KP lawmakers closer to their counterparts elsewhere.
The controversy has also revived doubts about transparency. Although they came into force in May, the laws could not be found on the KP Assembly’s official website or its online legislation archive at the time of this report, even as excerpts of the laws were widely circulated on social media.
Commenting on the issue, Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) President Ahmad Bilal Mehboob said that salary increases for legislators often generate a negative public reaction because politicians generally suffer from a poor public image and many people are unaware of the context behind such increases.
“Being a legislator is a full-time job and not all legislators come from an affluent class. Therefore, legislators need to receive a market salary,” he said.
However, Mehboob said some of the newly approved benefits were difficult to justify.
“Lifetime diplomatic passports for legislators and their families are an unnecessary demand. Similarly, multiple licenses to carry prohibited weapons is another unreasonable demand and amounts to seeking status above the law. Lawmakers should focus on legislation and executive oversight rather than seeking unreasonable benefits,” he added.
