The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly unanimously passed a set of amendments to the Members’ Privileges and Facilities Act 2026, doing away with the widely criticized clause that had granted provincial lawmakers lifetime official, or blue, passports.
Deputy Speaker Suraya Bibi presided over the session where the changes were adopted. Going forward, official blue passports issued to assembly members will only remain valid while they hold their seat in the provincial legislature, rather than for life as the earlier law had allowed.
What the KP Assembly Amendments Change
Alongside scrapping the lifetime passport privilege, the amended law reinstated each lawmaker’s entitlement to four free arms licences, reversing a previous reduction. Legislators had pushed back against cuts to this benefit, and the restored figure reflects that pressure.
The revised legislation also eased fines and penalties tied to journalists and reworked several other contentious clauses found in the First Schedule. These provisions had drawn criticism from press bodies and civil society groups since the original law was enacted.
Resolution Against Haripur-Abbottabad Merger
In a separate but equally unanimous vote, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly adopted a resolution rejecting any move to fold Haripur and Abbottabad into the federal capital territory. Provincial Minister Akbar Ayub introduced the resolution, which asserted that both districts remain firmly part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The resolution went further, reaffirming the province’s political, economic and constitutional claim over its territory and natural resources. Lawmakers framed the move as a defense of provincial autonomy amid speculation about federal territorial changes.
With both the amendment bill and the resolution cleared, the assembly session was adjourned and is set to reconvene on August 10.