Islamabad: Prime Minister’s Coordinator on Information for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ikhtiar Wali Khan on Wednesday criticized a bill recently passed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly which expands provincial assembly members’ powers and immunities, and called for its immediate withdrawal.
Addressing a press conference at the Press Information Department alongside Member of the National Assembly Ms. Shaista Khan and Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Jalal Khan, Ikhtiar Wali Khan said that the legislation grants sweeping powers and lifelong privileges to members of the provincial assembly, ministers and advisers.
He said that the bill provides lifetime blue passports to provincial lawmakers and their spouses, grants members exemption from court appearances, and protects them from arrest.
He also added that members of the KP Assembly would be allowed to possess licences for up to eight Kalashnikov rifles, compared with two licences permitted for members of the National Assembly.
Ikhtiar Wali further added that no FIR could be registered against a provincial lawmaker without the approval of the Speaker of the KP Assembly, adding that such provisions were contrary to democratic accountability and the rule of law.
He also criticized clauses which would restrict parliamentary coverage by the media, adding that only journalists approved by the provincial government or the Speaker would be allowed to cover assembly proceedings.
“The freedom of the press is being curtailed through this legislation,” he said, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the bill.
Criticizing the provincial government, he said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had promised to eliminate elitism and establish equal justice, was instead introducing legislation that would create special privileges for lawmakers.
Ikhtiar Wali Khan said that the provincial government was prioritizing privileges for elected representatives instead of addressing key public issues, including education, healthcare, infrastructure development and law and order.
Referring to the financial situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he added that several public universities were facing severe financial difficulties and called on the provincial government to allocate greater resources for education, hospitals and development projects.
He also urged federal accountability institutions, including the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), to investigate financial irregularities and corruption cases in the province.
Speaking on the occasion, MNA Ms. Shaista Khan expressed concern over restrictions on media freedom through this legislation. “I am deeply saddened that freedom of the press is being taken away,” she said.
Criticizing the provincial government’s health policies, Shaista Khan said that the Health Card programme had created serious administrative problems and placed doctors in difficult situations.
She said that patients from Haripur were routinely being referred to hospitals in Abbottabad because of inadequate healthcare facilities and urged the provincial government not to compromise public health and human lives.
Shaista urged the provincial government to focus on improving education, healthcare and public welfare instead of introducing legislation that would grant special privileges to elected representatives.