Despite the passage of over two months since the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly enacted laws expanding the privileges of lawmakers, public anger against the legislation reached fever pitch on Tuesday, as extracts of the Acts went viral on social media, triggering backlash from supporters and detractors alike.
Earlier this year, the KP Assembly passed the KP Province (Salaries and Allowances of Members) Act and the KP Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities (Amendment) Act, 2026. In an apparent bid to avoid the anticipated backlash, the text of the laws was not shared on the Assembly’s website and only came to public attention after multiple people reported on their contents.
The provisions that have prompted the most anger include free access to government rest houses for three days; access to airport VIP lounges; exemption from toll tax; stringent security arrangements; and entitlement to an official passport for members and their spouses for life, subject to applicable federal law. Additionally, the laws allow the speaker to ban any journalist from entering the Assembly for any reason, and calls for imprisonment of up to six months, a fine, or both, for publishing proceedings or evidence the legislature has declared confidential.
The laws also allow for eight licenses to all lawmakers for prohibited bore arms, including four for free and four for a fee.
While KP Chief Minister’s spokesperson Shafi Jan has sought to downplay the laws, describing reports on them as “baseless,” he struggled to mollify the public during various appearances on TV on Tuesday night, opting instead to claim that “other” legislatures enjoyed similar privileges and it was not a major concern. He also defended an increase in lawmakers’ remuneration, asserting that the province’s MPAs remain the lowest-paid in the country.
Amidst the mounting anger, the KP government has announced Speaker Babar Saleem Swati would address a press conference to “clarify” concerns. It remains unclear if the government plans to repeal the Acts as a consequence of the backlash.