KP Speaker Seeks Details Of Detained Lawmakers And Ministers

“KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has sought police records on lawmakers and provincial officials who were detained, arrested or subjected to searches in the past two weeks.”

— Editorial Team

Key points

KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has sought police records on lawmakers and provincial officials who were detained, arrested or subjected to searches in the past two weeks.
The request has intensified a dispute over legislative privilege, police powers and the treatment of elected representatives.

Politics|By Editorial Team|Published 27-Sep-26|Latest update 9/27/2026, 6:41:00 PM|2 min read

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati has asked the provincial police chief to provide details of lawmakers, ministers and other officials who have been detained, arrested or subjected to searches over the past two weeks.

The request was made in a second letter sent through the assembly secretariat to Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed. It also seeks information about residences that were searched or allegedly attacked by law-enforcement agencies, along with relevant reports, FIRs and complaint records.

The development follows reports that several PTI members and supporters, including provincial ministers and relatives of the party's founder, were detained before a planned protest. The protest was subsequently postponed until October 4.

Swati had earlier asked the police chief to ensure that prior approval from the speaker was sought before the arrest or executive detention of a sitting provincial lawmaker. The speaker cited constitutional provisions, assembly rules and the province's law on legislative powers, immunities and privileges.

According to the speaker's position, the requirement is intended to protect the assembly from arbitrary executive action and political interference. He said it does not place lawmakers above the law, as any accused member remains subject to investigation, prosecution and judicial proceedings.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi criticised the consent requirement and questioned whether police would need permission in every case involving an elected representative. He described the measure as inconsistent with equal application of the law.

Swati responded that the purpose of the safeguard was to prevent arrests motivated by political retaliation or designed to disrupt the functioning of the provincial assembly. He said similar privileges are part of the wider parliamentary framework and must be understood alongside ordinary criminal-law procedures.

The exchange comes amid a broader dispute over the KP Police Act, 2026. The federal interior ministry has raised concerns over the law's effect on police command and administration, while the provincial government maintains that its legislation is aimed at strengthening accountability and protecting democratic institutions.