Naqvi assails PTI's 'version of equality before law' after KP IG told to ensure speaker's approval for any MPA's arrest
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday took strong exception to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s attempt to further solidify legislation mandating the assembly speaker’s prior permission for an MPA’s arrest or detention. In a post on X, Naqvi shared a KP Assembly Secretariat’s letter addressed to the KP inspector general (IG) on Friday, a day after the provincial cabinet…
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed strong disapproval on Saturday over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's plan to require the assembly speaker's prior approval for an MPA's (Member of Provincial Assembly) arrest or detention. Naqvi shared a KP Assembly Secretariat's letter to the KP inspector general (IG) on X, a day after the provincial cabinet approved the proposed Police Act 2026.
The act, yet to be passed by the assembly, ties the IG's decisions to the chief minister or government's approval. In the letter, Deputy Secretary (Admin) Ibrahim Khan reminded IG Zulfiqar Hameed about Section 11 of the KP Provincial Assembly (Powers, Immunities and Privileges) Act 2026, which mandates speaker's approval for MPA arrests or detentions.
Naqvi questioned the logic behind such a system, asking what would happen if an MPA killed someone or if the police had to wait for the speaker's permission to arrest him. He criticized the legislation for its departure from the principle of "equality before law" and likened it to Riyasat-i-Madina, a motto linked to PTI founder and ex-prime minister Imran Khan.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
