K-P law grants sweeping privileges to PA speaker

PESHAWAR:

Details of the Act governing the privileges, salaries and immunities of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker and Deputy Speaker have come to light after the gazette notification of the law was issued.

According to the Act, now available on the Assembly website, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be entitled to two official vehicles each. The Speaker will also have the right to use one armoured vehicle. Both will enjoy immunity from arrest or detention, and no law-enforcement agency will be allowed to search, enter or raid their official residences.

They will be entitled to business-class air tickets for themselves and their children during official travel, and may take two private attendants who will travel in economy class. The Speaker will have the author-ity to use a government helicopter, aircraft or Pakistan Air Force helicopter for official duties.

If official residences are not provided, they will receive payment for alternative accommodation as de-termined by the Finance Committee. They may occupy the official residences during their tenure and for 15 days after retirement. The Speaker may continue using the residence until the next Speaker is elected by the succeeding Assembly.

The Finance Committee has been empowered to increase their salaries. In the event of death in an acci-dent, a sum approved by the Finance Committee will be paid to their legal heirs; in case of injury, the amount will be paid to them.

Earlier drafts of the law had proposed allowing the Speaker and Deputy Speaker a Grade-17 secretary, cook and driver, but these provisions were dropped in the final version of the Act.