Babar Saleem Swati

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati referred a controversial law expanding lawmakers' privileges to a house committee for review. The law, passed in April 2026, grants blue passports, arms licenses, and immunity to lawmakers but faced public and media criticism, prompting Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review. The government aims to align the law with the 1988 Act.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government decided to withdraw controversial clauses from the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, which had expanded lawmakers’ privileges, following public backlash. The law, which included provisions like blue passports, arms licenses, and arrest immunity, will be revised to align with the 1988 law. KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi called for a harmonized national framework to standardize legislators’ privileges across Pakistan.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi unveiled a Rs2.17 trillion budget for 2026-27, stating that funds for the federal government require approval from PTI founder Imran Khan. The budget includes no new taxes, a 7% raise in salaries and pensions, and property tax exemptions for properties up to 5 marlas. The province projects a Rs48 billion deficit to be covered by savings, not borrowing.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session has been postponed multiple times due to fears of criticism from a dissident group within the ruling PTI over Imran Khan's imprisonment. Dissident lawmakers, unhappy with not being included in the provincial cabinet, demand his release, medical treatment, and expedited court proceedings, threatening a permanent sit-in if their demands are not met.