KP PA panel to review MPAs Privileges Act: Shafi Jan

PESHAWAR, Jul 13 (APP): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan has said that the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly has directed that the controversial provisions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Members of Provincial Assembly Privileges Act be referred back to the Standing Committee on Privileges for review.

He said the committee would re-examine the controversial clauses and restore them in accordance with the 1988 Act within one week.

Addressing a press conference, the provincial minister said that the Act had remained under discussion over the past several days, with concerns being raised by the journalist community, the general public and workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding certain provisions.

Taking these concerns into consideration, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi convened a meeting of the provincial cabinet. Following consultations with the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, it was decided that the controversial clauses should be withdrawn for reconsideration.

Shafi Jan said that, in line with the Chief Minister’s directives, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly, attended by parliamentary leaders of all political parties as well as the Leader of the Opposition. After hearing the views of all participants, the Speaker directed that the disputed provisions be referred back to the Standing Committee on Privileges.

He said that since the bill had originally been presented by the Standing Committee on Privileges, the committee would review the contentious provisions within one week and align them with the provisions of the 1988 Act. He added that members of the journalist community and the public would also be welcome to submit their recommendations.

The Information Minister said that most provisions of the new law were identical to those contained in the 1988 Act, with the exception of the clause relating to blue passports. However, he clarified that the draft approved by the provincial cabinet did not contain any provision extending blue passport facilities to members’ children, spouses or as a lifetime entitlement.

He said the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa signed the bill on May 6, and it was notified in the official Gazette on May 7, yet no objections were raised by any quarter at that time.

The provincial minister further stated that similar amendments had already been introduced in Sindh and Punjab, but had not generated comparable public debate. He added that only 992 blue passports had been issued in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas approximately 56,000 had been issued across the country, and stressed that the complete facts and figures regarding blue passports should be made public.