KP governor calls for uniform law on legislators’ privileges across Pakistan

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Friday urged National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Senate President Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani to convene a meeting of speakers of the four provincial assemblies to formulate a “single and harmonized” law governing salaries, privileges and rights of legislators across Pakistan.

The call comes amid renewed controversy over two 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 – which have drawn criticism from the public and political circles.

Although Kundi approved the legislation in early May and it initially attracted little public attention, screenshots of the enacted laws began circulating online in July, reigniting debate over the scope of benefits granted to lawmakers and the implications of several new provisions.

In a message on

He stressed that “no province should grant itself extraordinary privileges” while asking the population to adopt austerity. “Salaries, security, official passports, allowances and all other rights should be uniform across the federation, ensuring a single standard for all,” Kundi wrote.

In an apparent attempt to respond to public criticism, the governor also shared an undated but signed letter issued by the Governor’s Secretariat in Peshawar, in which he had “strongly recommended” that the KP Finance Commission implement the spirit of the prime minister’s 14 austerity measures – including expenditure cuts, fuel rationing and elimination of unnecessary privileges – while upholding the law.

According to Kundi, the recommendation was intended to ensure fiscal discipline despite its assent to the law, by aligning provincial legislative practices with the federal government’s economic emergency framework introduced in response to the U.S.-Iran war and broader global instability.

The letter concluded by recommending that the Finance Committee reconsider the implementation framework to ensure that these principles are applied in their true letter and spirit.

Read also: “Political corruption”: Talal Chaudhry criticizes PTI for law granting benefits to KP legislators

Kundi also maintained that his reservations regarding the KP Privileges Bill had been registered since May. “My observations on the KP Privileges Bill have been recorded since May 2026, when it was presented to me for approval,” he wrote on X.

He said he made it clear that “no law should become a means of extending privileges while the people of Pakistan, especially those of KP, are asked to endure austerity and economic hardship.”

The governor added that he asked that the law be implemented “in the true spirit of fiscal discipline” and prudent use of public resources.

“A government that talks about financial constraints cannot at the same time legislate greater privileges for those in power,” he said. “Public money belongs to the people, not to the benefits of those who govern them.”

Meanwhile, on Friday, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati announced that the provincial assembly would meet on July 13 to discuss the Members’ Powers, Privileges and Benefits Bill.

According to a media statement, the decision to review the legislation followed consultations between the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Minister.

Swati said public interest, transparency and democratic values ​​remained the government’s top priorities, adding that the views of civil society, journalists and other stakeholders would be duly taken into account during the legislative process.

He added that the Legislature remains committed to ensuring that its laws are consistent with public expectations and constitutional requirements.

The outcry and response to the new law

Public criticism has mainly focused on the KP Province (Members’ Salaries and Allowances) Act and the KP Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities (Amendment) Act, which expand the range of benefits available to legislators and extend certain legislative privileges.

Among the provisions criticized are enhanced allowances and benefits for lawmakers, including access to government rest homes, airport VIP lounges, exemption from toll taxes, 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.

Besides, the KP Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities (Amendment) Act has also come under scrutiny with regard to the provisions relating to legislative privilege. One of its most debated clauses provides for imprisonment of up to six months, a fine, or both, for publishing proceedings or evidence that the Assembly has ordered kept confidential. This provision has fueled concerns about its potential implications for media coverage and transparency.

On July 8, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi ordered a review of the controversial amendments to the Powers, Privileges and Benefits of Members of the KP Assembly Act, 2026, following widespread criticism from the public and media, and ordered that all controversial provisions be reviewed in consultation with parliamentary leaders.

Addressing a meeting of the provincial cabinet, CM Afridi said the Parliamentary Privileges Bill, which was approved by the cabinet, was amended after it was sent to the provincial assembly. He noted that the amendments had been the subject of sustained criticism in the media over the past two or three days.

The chief minister said he met KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and requested him to convene a meeting of all parliamentary leaders represented in the provincial assembly. “The meeting is expected to thoroughly review all the provisions that have attracted objections from KP people and the journalist community and make necessary revisions.”