'Public money belongs to the people': KP governor says his observations on law to raise MPAs’ privileges 'on record'

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has publicly distanced himself from a controversial new law that significantly expands the powers and privileges of provincial assembly members. Assented to on May 6, the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act, 2026, has drawn widespread criticism, prompting Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to order a review.

In a statement on X, Governor Kundi emphasized that his reservations about the law were "on record since May." He asserted that "public money belongs to the people, not to the perks of those who govern them." Kundi argued that no law should increase privileges when the public, particularly in KP, is being urged to practice austerity and endure economic hardship. He called for the law to be implemented in the "true spirit of fiscal discipline and prudent use of public resources."

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My position was clear then, and it remains unchanged today: public money belongs to the people, not to the perks of those who govern them.

The new legislation grants provincial assembly members several enhanced benefits, including lifetime official passports for them and their spouses, broad immunity from preventive detention, and licenses for up to eight non-prohibited-bore weapons. These provisions represent an expansion compared to the previous 1988 law, which offered more limited immunity periods related to assembly sessions and committee meetings.

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no law should become a means of expanding privileges when the people of Pakistan, especially the people of KP, were being asked to endure austerity and economic hardship