Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has defended a provision requiring his prior approval before the arrest or detention of a provincial lawmaker, saying parliamentary privileges are intended to protect the legislature from political pressure.
His remarks came a day after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi questioned whether police should be required to seek the speaker’s permission before arresting an MPA accused of a serious criminal offence.
Swati said the requirement was not a new practice in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was aimed at preventing police powers from being used for political retaliation or to disrupt parliamentary proceedings.
He clarified that the provision did not grant lawmakers immunity from the law, maintaining that all assembly members remained subject to investigations, legal proceedings and judicial action.
The speaker also questioned whether legislation on parliamentary privileges, passed with consensus between the government and opposition in the provincial assembly, should not be respected.
The dispute follows a directive issued by the KP Assembly Secretariat to the provincial police chief to comply with Section 11 of the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026.
Under the provision, prior permission from the speaker is required before an MPA can be arrested on a criminal charge or detained under an executive order.
The provision has drawn criticism from federal officials, with Naqvi questioning its implications for equality before the law. The federal government has also raised broader concerns over aspects of the KP government’s revised police legislation.
Swati further criticised restrictions on lawmakers, saying such measures had affected Pakistan’s parliamentary representation at an international conference.
The exchange comes amid broader tensions between the federal and KP governments over police legislation, parliamentary privileges and the treatment of provincial lawmakers.
