PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday decided to withdraw the controversial clauses from recently enacted legislation that expanded lawmakers’ powers and privileges after widespread backlash.
In April, the provincial assembly passed the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, granting blue passports to members and their spouses, arms licenses, blanket immunity from preventive detention and making the speaker’s permission necessary before arresting members on criminal charges.
The law faced harsh criticism from the media and general public, prompting KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review of the legislation on Wednesday.
In a video message shared on X, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan said: “On the directives of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, the provincial government has decided to withdraw all controversial provisions incorporated into the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026.”
He said that cabinet members met with the chief minister earlier in the day, adding that KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati also joined the meeting via video link.
