PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday once again passed the Public Financial Management Amendment Bill (2026) despite objection by KP governor.
Opposition benches in the provincial assembly opposed the amendment bill on the ground that it affected the power of controller general of accounts and would provide more powers to the Finance Department.
Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Aftab Alam tabled the amendment bill under Article 116-C of the constitution for reconsideration in the House.Opposing the bill, Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentary party leader Ahmad Karim Kundi said it would give extra powers to Finance Department in the approval of payment to different departments that come under the control of Controller General of Accounts.
He said that it would also affect the jurisdiction of the auditor general and would raise question on the transparency of financial matters in the province.However, Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, who was presiding over the session, said that the same bill had been passed through different process for the last one year after consultation with auditor general office and other departments.
Therefore, he put the legislation to House for voting and the bill was opposed by about 17 members belonging to opposition parties.The amendment bill was passed by majority.It is worth mentioning that the same bill was passed in March 2026 wherein Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi had sent it back for reconsideration with certain objections and reservations.
The speaker referred two bills related to Hindu Marriage and Kilash Marriage Bill 2026 to concerned standing committee for consideration. He directed that the committees must present their report within a month.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hindu Marriage Bill and Kalash Marriage Bill were presented in the House, however, minority MPA Suraish Kumar said that he was not consulted as he was the lone Hindu member in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
He suggested that Hindu religious scholars should be taken on board before its approval.Minister Meena Khan Afridi criticized the federal government for alleged indifferent and inhuman attitude towards former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse in the jail.
He said that Imran Khan was the most popular leader in Pakistan but his trial was deliberately delayed and he was not provided the basic right to meet his relatives and party leaders.
The minister said the PTI would continue its protest movement to secure the release of Imran Khan, saying that the Punjab government had banned the holding of political gathering and processions in the province.
He claimed that it was against human rights and democratic norms.The session was adjourned till Tuesday afternoon when a member from opposition benches pointed out a lack of quorum.
