PESHAWAR: Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Babar Saleem Swati on Tuesday wrote a letter to his Punjab counterpart, complaining about the “ill-treatment” of KP lawmakers by authorities during a recent visit to Lahore.

He noted that the incident had caused serious resentment among lawmakers from his province, so it should be examined to fix the responsibility.

A similar letter was written by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to his Punjab counterpart, Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

In the three-page letter to Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan, Mr Swati said he was constrained to place on record a matter of serious concern relating to an “unfortunate and wholly avoidable series of incidents” that occurred during the recent visit of CM Afridi to to the Punjab Assembly in Lahore along with an official delegation from the province comprising elected representatives and cabinet members.

PA speaker urges Punjab counterpart to examine matter to fix responsibility, prevent such incidents in future

He said as reported by media, the visit was undertaken on the invitation of the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

“Regrettably, from the very outset, the delegation was subjected to repeated and unwarranted obstructions. Initially, the KP chief minister and cabinet members were stopped on the roadway at a considerable distance from the assembly premises and were required to proceed on foot towards the first security check post, where they were informed that vehicles were not permitted beyond that point,” he insisted.

Mr Swati added that after prolonged coordination, only a few members of the provincial assembly were allowed to pass the first checkpost on foot, while the majority of the delegation, including cabinet members, was restrained there.

He said at a second entry point, another layer of filtering was imposed, allowing a few members to proceed, while others were stopped.

“After considerable delay and explanation, only the vehicle of the chief minister was permitted to proceed further, during which the chief minister was made to wait for a prolonged period. The delegation was thereafter received by the leader of the opposition. Disturbingly, even upon reaching the main building of the Assembly, members of the delegation were again stopped, pushed and physically restrained at the entrance,” he said.

The KP Assembly’s speaker said scuffles ensued during which lawmakers and cabinet members were dragged and manhandled by assembly security staff, while inside the assembly building, including at elevator points leading to the assembly floors, the delegation was obstructed.

He said the chief minister, the deputy speaker of the KP assembly and other elected representatives were stopped three to four times and some members even fell to the ground due to pushing and physical restraint by security personnel.

Mr Swati said it had further been conveyed that at the main gate of the assembly, the chief minister himself, while proceeding on foot along with members of his team towards the assembly building, was stopped, pushed and subjected to misbehaviour by security staff members.

“Owing to the manner in which these actions were carried out, CM Afridi was compelled to return to his vehicle, as the conduct appeared deliberate and aimed at causing embarrassment and maligning an elected constitutional office-holder,” he said.

The KP Assembly’s speaker said it was alarming that despite being checked multiple times at different entry points, the delegation was repeatedly subjected to questioning, demands for identification cards and aggressive conduct.

He said several members and invited guests were addressed in a manner wholly unbecoming of their constitutional status, causing public humiliation and a sense of disgrace entirely inconsistent with parliamentary norms.

“It is also pertinent to place on record that during these events, certain individuals identifying themselves as journalists exhibited conduct that was highly unprofessional and inconsistent with accepted journalistic ethics.

“Instead of meaningful questions, they posed provocative and inflammatory questions to members of the delegation in a manner that appeared calculated to incite confrontation and aggravate an already tense situation. Such conduct further contributed to disorder at the premises and undermined the dignity and seriousness of the official visit.”

Mr Swati said subjecting an official delegation of elected representatives from another province to such treatment was deeply regrettable and went against the established norms of inter-provincial comity, mutual respect and parliamentary courtesy that underpinned the country’s federal structure.

He said assemblies were not merely buildings; they were constitutional institutions whose conduct must reflect restraint, maturity and respect for democratic mandate.

“Parliamentary decorum demanded that the visit be facilitated with dignity and smooth coordination. Any security considerations should have been addressed through prior institutional coordination rather than through actions that resulted in disorder, physical confrontation, and public embarrassment,” he noted.

The KP Assembly’s speaker said the incident had caused serious resentment among the elected representatives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and projected an unfortunate image of inter-provincial relations before the people.

He said such occurrences, if left unaddressed, risked eroding trust between constitutional forums and weakening the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Mr Swati urged his Punjab counterpart to examine the matter for fixing responsibility and to ensure that such incident is not repeated in the future.

“It is imperative that the sanctity, dignity and neutrality of parliamentary institutions be preserved at all times. I trust that this matter will receive your immediate and serious attention in the larger interest of parliamentary traditions and harmonious relations between the federating units,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2025