Federal minister accuses PTI of political bribery over new perks for K-P lawmakers

Khan said the bill provides lifetime blue passports to provincial lawmakers and their spouses, grants members exemption from court appearances and protects them from arrest.

State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf party Wednesday of embracing the same VIP culture they once vowed to eliminate, describing newly approved privileges for provincial lawmakers as a form of political bribery.

More than two months after the assembly quietly passed a set of laws expanding lawmakers’ salaries, allowances and legislative protections, the legislation has come under fresh public scrutiny following the resurfacing of excerpts on social media this week. The renewed attention has triggered widespread criticism over enhanced benefits, official passport entitlements and provisions tied to assembly privileges.

The controversy centers on two of three laws the assembly passed on April 30, namely the K-P Province Salaries and Allowances of Members Act and the K-P Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities Amendment Act of 2026. Although the governor granted assent to the legislation in early May and the laws largely escaped public attention at that time, screenshots of the enacted measures began circulating widely online this week, reigniting debate over the scope of benefits granted to lawmakers and the implications of several new provisions.

Speaking to PTV News, Chaudhry said the party that once promised to eliminate elite privileges has instead enacted legislation granting unprecedented benefits to its own members. He said the party maintains one public image while behaving entirely differently behind closed doors, telling citizens one thing while pursuing an opposite course of action.

Chaudhry acknowledged that previous governments and assemblies across Pakistan had introduced various benefits for lawmakers over the years, but he argued that no prior legislature had approved a package of privileges matching the scale of what the K-P Assembly recently passed. He recalled that party leaders had once promised modest governance, including pledges to travel by bicycle and dismantle VIP culture entirely. Instead, he alleged, the leadership embraced official privileges for itself while extending substantial new benefits to lawmakers.

According to Chaudhry, the legislation grants assembly members exemption from toll taxes, free accommodation at government rest houses, lifetime official blue passports for legislators and their immediate families, and firearms licenses issued without any fees, among other benefits. He maintained, however, that provincial legislation carries no binding authority over the federal government, particularly regarding matters such as passport issuance and prohibited bore firearms licenses, both of which fall under federal jurisdiction.

Chaudhry said the federal government, acting under directives from the prime minister and the interior ministry, has cut the number of official blue passports issued by nearly half over the past two years. He said such passports remain strictly reserved for individuals traveling on official government business, adding that no additional blue passports will be issued simply because of provincial legislation or to extend political favors.

Turning to firearms licenses, Chaudhry said the federal government has reduced issuance of prohibited bore weapons licenses by 95 percent compared with previous administrations. He said such licenses now go out only in exceptional cases following strict scrutiny, primarily to individuals entitled under existing law. He added that licenses for non prohibited firearms have also dropped by 60 to 65 percent, and he said the government intends to tighten this policy further still.

The minister argued that the provincial legislation amounts to political bribery, alleging that the ruling party in K-P is rewarding its own lawmakers despite earlier promises to end preferential treatment for politicians. He questioned whether ordinary citizens receive similar benefits, including free accommodation at government rest houses, complimentary firearms licenses, special vehicle number plates, tinted vehicle windows, state provided security or official passports.

Chaudhry also referenced an earlier incident involving a PTI lawmaker, alleging that the son of a National Assembly member had misused an official passport to travel to Europe before surrendering it while seeking political asylum, an episode he said damaged Pakistan’s international reputation.

Highlighting federal reforms, Chaudhry said the government has strengthened passport security features, improved the issuance process, curtailed fraudulent documentation and significantly reduced the number of official and diplomatic passports issued to ineligible individuals. He claimed these measures have helped improve Pakistan’s passport ranking over the past two and a half years and have facilitated 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 relating to official passports, prohibited bore weapons licenses or other privileges it considers unjustified. He concluded by calling the K-P Assembly legislation ridiculous, saying it exposes a political contradiction within a party that came to power promising to end VIP culture but instead created what he described as a new example of that same culture through legislation.

Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Information for K-P, Ikhtiar Wali Khan, also criticized the laws, saying PTI had promised to eliminate elitism and establish equal justice but instead introduced legislation creating special privileges for lawmakers. Speaking at a press conference, Khan said the legislation grants sweeping powers and lifelong privileges to members of the provincial assembly, along with ministers and advisers.

Khan said the bill provides lifetime blue passports to provincial lawmakers and their spouses, grants members exemption from court appearances and protects them from arrest. He added that K-P Assembly members would be permitted to hold licenses for up to eight Kalashnikov rifles, compared with just two licenses allowed for National Assembly members. He further said no case can be registered against a provincial lawmaker without approval from the speaker of the K-P Assembly, arguing that such provisions run contrary to democratic accountability and the rule of law.

Khan also criticized clauses restricting media coverage of parliamentary proceedings, noting that only journalists approved by the provincial government or the speaker would be permitted to cover assembly sessions. He said press freedom is being curtailed through this legislation and demanded the bill’s immediate withdrawal.

Khan said the provincial government is prioritizing privileges for elected representatives instead of addressing pressing public issues, including education, healthcare, infrastructure development and law and order. Referring to the financial situation across K-P, he noted that several public universities face severe financial difficulties and called on the provincial government to allocate greater resources toward education, hospitals and development projects. He also urged federal accountability institutions, including the Federal Investigation Agency, to investigate financial irregularities and corruption cases within the province.

MNA Shaista Khan, speaking at the same event, expressed concern over restrictions on media freedom contained in the legislation, saying she felt deeply saddened that press freedom is being taken away. Criticizing the provincial government’s health policies separately, she said the health card program has created serious administrative problems and placed doctors in difficult positions.

Shaista said patients from Haripur are routinely being referred to hospitals in Abbottabad due to inadequate healthcare facilities in their home district, and she urged the provincial government not to compromise public health and human lives. She called on provincial authorities to focus on improving education, healthcare and public welfare rather than introducing legislation granting special privileges to elected representatives.

Criticism of the legislation has centered primarily on the K-P Province Salaries and Allowances of Members Act and the K-P Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities Amendment Act, both of which expand benefits available to lawmakers while extending certain legislative protections. Provisions drawing particular criticism include enhanced allowances covering government rest houses, airport VIP lounges, toll tax exemptions, security arrangements and lifetime official passport entitlement for members and their spouses, subject to applicable federal law.

The K-P Assembly Powers, Privileges and Immunities Amendment Act has also drawn scrutiny over provisions tied to legislative privilege. One heavily debated clause prescribes imprisonment of up to six months, a fine, or both, for publishing proceedings or evidence the assembly has directed to remain confidential, a provision that has fueled online concern over its potential impact on media reporting and government transparency.