Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has implemented new legislation related to the powers, immunities and privileges of members of the provincial assembly, under which several new facilities and legal protections have been provided to the elected members. The new law includes provisions for providing certain government facilities to the spouses of the assembly members along with them, while many powers have been expanded compared to the previous law.
According to official documents, the provincial assembly passed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act 2026 on April 30 this year. On the same day, two more laws related to the salaries and privileges of the speaker, deputy speaker and assembly members were also passed, which later received the approval of the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, the details of these laws were not made public at the official level for a long time.
The new law repeals the previous 1988 law but retains many of its basic provisions. It also includes several new provisions that are said to enhance the administrative, legal and security powers of assembly members.
According to the law, every assembly member will have the power to call a meeting on matters of public interest in his constituency or the relevant district. If a government officer is duly notified, his attendance at the meeting is mandatory, while his absence without justification will be considered a breach of the privileges of the assembly.
Under the new legislation, assembly members have also been given complete immunity from protective custody. In the past, this exemption was available only for a limited period during the assembly session or the meeting of the relevant committees, but now this protection has been included in the law in a more comprehensive manner.
Similarly, it has been made mandatory to obtain the prior permission of the speaker before arresting an assembly member under any criminal case or administrative order. According to the law, the Speaker can, if necessary, seek details of the case, report or challan from the relevant police authorities and, in some cases, can also direct further inquiry.
Significant changes have also been made in the provisions related to security. Under the new law, every member of the assembly will be entitled to Category B security during his term of membership, while in case of danger, the security can be increased to Category A on the recommendation of the relevant police agency. This facility of security personnel will also continue in other areas of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The law has also included additional privileges for members of the assembly. According to them, members will be allowed to hold eight non-prohibited bore arms licences, four of which can be issued free of charge while four can be issued for a fixed fee. The previous law had the facility of only four free lifetime licences.
Furthermore, members of the assembly and their spouses have also been given the right to obtain official passports, provided that the conditions of federal laws in this regard are met. Special assembly identity cards will be issued to the spouses of members, which will be recognised by law enforcement agencies.
Under the law, members of the provincial assembly will also have the facility to use VIP lounges at airports across the country. In addition, they will be provided with membership of various clubs on equal terms with government officials, permission to keep a vehicle with tinted windows for personal use and other administrative facilities.
The new legislation has also increased the penalties and fines for violation of the law to ensure effective implementation of the privileges and legal requirements of the assembly.
Following the enactment of the law, debates are ongoing in various political and constitutional circles over its potential impact. According to some experts, the new legislation has expanded the scope of powers and privileges of assembly members, while some observers are emphasising the need for further clarification and public debate in this regard. The news will be updated in a timely manner if more details emerge regarding the objectives of the law or the ongoing response by the government to it.
