PM’s KP information assistant slams bill, says PTI promised equality but gave benefits to lawmakers
Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry speaks to journalists outside Parliament in Islamabad on October 9, 2025. Screenshot
Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry on Wednesday accused the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf of promoting the same “VIP culture” he once vowed to abolish, and described newly approved privileges for provincial lawmakers as a form of “political bribery.”
More than two months after the 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, prompting criticism of increased benefits, official passport rights and provisions related to assembly privileges.
The controversy centers on two of the three laws passed 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 assent in early May and largely escaped public attention at the time, screenshots of the enacted laws began circulating online this week, reigniting the debate over the scope of benefits granted to legislators and the implications of some of the new provisions.
talking to PTV NewsChaudhry said the party that had promised to eliminate elite privileges had instead enacted legislation granting unprecedented benefits to its own members.
“They have one face for the public and another for themselves. They tell people one thing but they do something completely different,” he said.
He said successive governments and assemblies in Pakistan had introduced various benefits for legislators, but claimed that no previous legislature had passed a package of privileges comparable to those recently approved by the KP Assembly.
Chaudhry recalled that the party had once promised modest governance, with leaders claiming they would travel by bicycle and dismantle VIP culture. Instead, he alleged, his leadership had embraced official privileges while extending new benefits to lawmakers.
He said the legislation provided assembly members with toll tax exemptions, free accommodation in government rest houses, official lifetime passports (blue) for legislators and their immediate family members and fee-free firearms licenses, among other benefits.
The minister, however, maintained that provincial legislation was not binding on the federal government, particularly in matters such as the issuance of official passports and licenses for firearms with prohibited calibers, which are federal jurisdiction.
Chaudhry said the federal government, under the directives of the prime minister and the Ministry of Home Affairs, had reduced the number of official (blue) passports issued by almost half in the last two years.
“These passports are now strictly reserved for individuals traveling in the performance of official government duties. No additional blue passports will be issued simply because of this provincial legislation or to grant political favors,” he added.
Addressing the issue of firearms licenses, Chaudhry said the federal government had reduced the issuance of licenses for prohibited weapons by 95 percent compared to previous administrations. He added that such licenses are now granted only in exceptional cases, after strict control, and mainly to those who are entitled to it according to the law.
He further stated that licenses for non-prohibited firearms had also been reduced by 60-65%, adding that the government intended to tighten the policy further.
The minister argued that the provincial legislation amounted to “political bribery,” alleging that the ruling party in KP was rewarding its own lawmakers despite earlier promises to end preferential treatment for politicians.
He wondered whether ordinary citizens receive benefits such as free accommodation in government rest houses, free firearms licenses, special vehicle registration plates, tinted windows, state-provided security or official passports.
Chaudhry also referred to an earlier incident involving a PTI lawmaker, alleging that the son of a member of the National Assembly had misused an official passport by traveling to Europe and then surrendering it while seeking political asylum, an episode which he claimed had damaged Pakistan’s international image.
Highlighting the federal reforms, the minister said the government had strengthened the security features of passports, improved the passport issuance process, reduced fraudulent documentation and significantly reduced the number of official and diplomatic passports issued to ineligible persons.
He stated that these measures had contributed to an improvement in Pakistan’s passport ranking over the past two and a half years and had helped facilitate visa-free arrangements for official and diplomatic passport holders with several countries.
The minister reiterated that the federal government will not implement any provincial measures related to official passports, prohibited weapons licenses or other privileges that it considers unjustified.
He concluded by calling the KP Assembly legislation “ridiculous,” saying it exposed the political contradiction of a party that came to power promising to end VIP culture but had instead, in his words, created “a new example of VIP culture through legislation.”
Prime Minister’s Information Coordinator for KP Ikhtiar Wali Khan also criticized the laws, saying that the PTI, which had promised to eliminate elitism and establish equal justice, was instead introducing legislation that would create special privileges for lawmakers.
At a news conference, Khan said the legislation grants sweeping powers and lifetime privileges to members of the provincial assembly, ministers and advisers.
He said the bill provided lifetime blue passports to provincial legislators and their spouses, granted members exemption from court appearances and protected them from arrest, adding that KP Assembly members would be allowed to possess licenses for up to eight Kalashnikov rifles, compared to the two licenses allowed to AN members.
Khan further added that no case could be registered against a provincial legislator without the approval of the KP Assembly Speaker, adding that such provisions were contrary to democratic accountability and the rule of law.
He also criticized clauses that would restrict parliamentary media coverage, adding that only journalists approved by the provincial government or the president could cover assembly proceedings.
“Freedom of the press is restricted by this legislation,” he said, demanding the bill’s immediate withdrawal.
Khan said the provincial government was prioritizing the privileges of elected representatives instead of addressing key public issues such as education, healthcare, infrastructure development and law and order.
Referring to the financial situation in KP, he added that several public universities were facing serious financial difficulties and called on the provincial government to allocate greater resources for education, hospitals and development projects.
He also urged federal accountability institutions, including the Federal Investigation Agency, to investigate financial irregularities and corruption cases in the province.
On the occasion, MNA Shaista Khan expressed concern over the restrictions on press freedom through this legislation. “It saddens me deeply that freedom of the press is being taken away,” he said.
Criticizing the provincial government’s health policies, Shaista said the health card program had created serious administrative problems and placed doctors in difficult situations.
Read more: Laws giving benefits to KP legislators spark backlash
He said patients from Haripur were routinely referred to Abbottabad hospitals due to inadequate healthcare facilities and urged the provincial government not to compromise public health and human lives.
Shaista urged the provincial government to focus on improving education, healthcare and public welfare rather than introducing legislation that would grant special privileges to elected representatives.
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.
