K-P Assembly updates rules after 37 years

House adopts revised procedures; lawyer killing, ease of business bill spark debate

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday approved long-awaited amendments to its Rules of Procedure, bringing them up to date for the first time in nearly four decades.

The rules, originally framed in 1988, have now been revised and will be known as the Rules of Procedure 2025.

Deputy Speaker Surayya Bibi, who presented the amendments in the House, termed the day "a historic milestone" for parliamentary traditions in the province. "It is a significant moment for us that, after 37 years, we have been able to update these rules. The amendments will strengthen democratic practices," she remarked.

She commended the committee members for their exhaustive work on the draft, while Speaker Babar Saleem Swati praised the initiative, noting that the revisions reflected contributions from former speakers, deputy speakers, and assembly members. "These amendments are the result of long consultations and hard work, and today the House has finally adopted them," the Speaker said.

In another key development, the Assembly referred a call-attention notice regarding the alleged killing of a young lawyer in Charsadda to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs. The notice, jointly moved by opposition members Sobia Shahid, Arbab Usman, Shazia Jadoon, Farah Khan, and Faiza Malik, sought a thorough probe into the incident, which they claimed was caused by police firing.

Sobia Shahid stressed that the matter required committee-led scrutiny, while other lawmakers called for impartial investigations. MPA Khalid Khan demanded a judicial inquiry, arguing that both the bereaved family and police deserved a fair hearing. PPP's Ahmad Kundi urged members to place confidence in the committee's work, while Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Fazal Shakoor described the killing as "tragic," but cautioned against undermining the entire police force due to individual lapses.

Law Minister Aftab Alam expressed sorrow over the death, acknowledging the sacrifices of the police but assuring that "no wrongdoing will be covered up." He said the Inspector General of Police had already ordered an inquiry, which would run parallel to the committee's probe.

Deputy Speaker Surayya Bibi directed that both reports, committee findings and police inquiry, be submitted to the Assembly within 15 days.