PESHAWAR (Dunya News) - Prime Minister's Coordinator for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Affairs Ikhtiar Wali Khan has rejected the recent legislation passed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly granting enhanced perks and privileges to elected representatives.
Addressing a news conference in Islamabad today (Wednesday), Ikhtiar Wali emphasized that this legislation should be withdrawn.
Wali said that the provincial government was attempting to suppress journalists and restrict parliamentary reporting by making the publication and broadcast of Assembly proceedings subject to official approval.
He said the new law would prohibit the media from reporting on adjournment motions, questions, resolutions, speeches, or other Assembly business until they had been formally presented before the House by the Speaker. According to Wali, the legislation would undermine parliamentary reporting and limit the public’s right to access information.
The PML-N leader further said that the law grants authorities the power to deny Assembly coverage to journalists and media organizations deemed unfavorable by the government, describing the move as a direct assault on freedom of expression.
Criticizing the provincial government's overall performance, Wali said the education and health sectors were facing serious challenges. He stated that Gomal University was experiencing an administrative crisis, while the University of Peshawar had already declared financial difficulties. He also claimed that 18 out of the province’s 34 universities had either ceased operations or were on the verge of closure.
He said the healthcare system was also in poor condition, alleging that citizens were being deprived of basic medical services despite unrealistic claims of good governance by the provincial administration.
Wali accused the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of focusing on political publicity instead of addressing public concerns. He warned that unless government powers were exercised within constitutional and legal limits, the province’s situation could deteriorate further.
The PML-N leader also noted that illegal mining, narcotics trafficking, and corruption were taking place under official patronage. He said that the government had failed to curb the illegal extraction of gold, coal, and other minerals.
He further alleged that the province’s police force, once regarded as a model institution, had lost public confidence. Wali also claimed that large-scale irregularities had occurred in development projects and rehabilitation funds, with allocated resources failing to reach affected communities.
Highlighting security and governance issues, he said terrorism, education, healthcare, irrigation, and agriculture required urgent government attention. He also alleged widespread corruption in the provincial Health Card programme.
Wali demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Privileges (Amendment) Act, warning that if the legislation remained in force, its long-term consequences would be difficult to reverse. He also urged the federal government and the National Assembly to fulfill their constitutional responsibilities regarding the matter.
Additionally, he called on accountability institutions to conduct transparent investigations into alleged financial irregularities and corruption cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claiming that scandals involving billions of rupees required impartial inquiries.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly recently passed the Privileges (Amendment) Act, which prescribes penalties, including imprisonment and fines, for the premature or distorted reporting of Assembly or standing committee proceedings, questions, resolutions, motions, and speeches.