Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi sharply criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s revised police legislation on September 26, 2026, targeting a provision requiring the provincial assembly speaker’s prior permission before arresting any lawmaker for a criminal offense.
KP Assembly Secretariat Directive and Section 11
The controversy ignited after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Secretariat sent a formal letter to Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed on September 25, 2026. KP Assembly Deputy Secretary (Admin) Ibrahim Khan signed the communication, instructing police authorities to strictly follow Section 11 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, according to Samaa.
Under Section 11(1) of the legislation, any magistrate or executive authority seeking to arrest a provincial lawmaker on a criminal charge or detain them under an executive order must first secure formal permission from the speaker. The request must outline specific reasons for the detention as reported by Pakobserver. Section 11(2) goes a step further, empowering the speaker to demand a police report or challan in the public interest and order an inquiry prior to court submission noted Dailypakistan.
Naqvi and Kundi Slam the Immunity Provision
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi took to social media platform X on September 26 to denounce the rules, questioning how the policy aligns with foundational legal principles.
“What next? If an MPA kills someone, will the police first wait for the speaker’s permission to arrest him?”
Mohsin Naqvi, Interior Minister
Naqvi labeled the measure an extraordinary version of equality before law while questioning whether the move reflected the State of Madina
motto invoked by PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan reported Dawn.
KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi joined the criticism online, asking whether ordinary party workers would receive identical protections when participating in political demonstrations noted Dawn.
“PTI workers should ask their leaders a very simple question: if they are pushed to the front lines of unlawful, criminal, anti-state activities, arrested, injured or prosecuted, will the speaker be answerable for them as well?”
Faisal Karim Kundi, KP Governor
Broader Clash Over the KP Police Act and Federal Pushback
The directive follows the provincial cabinet’s approval of the KP Police Act 2026 reported Dawn.
Federal officials have pushed back hard against the provincial changes. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry warned that altering the command structure and transferring control of senior police postings to the provincial government could undermine morale and weaken anti-terrorism operations reported Geo. Chaudhry stated that the federal government plans to challenge the legislation in the Supreme Court, arguing it violates the constitutional framework governing the Police Service of Pakistan according to Geo.
Legislative Background and Provincial Response
The controversial assembly privileges are not entirely new. The KP Provincial Assembly passed its initial Powers, Immunities and Privileges Act earlier in the year, which drew intense public backlash over expanded perks like lifetime blue passports and arms licenses—provisions the assembly subsequently amended and withdrew in August reported Dawn.
