It is unclear whether Prime Minister Imran Khan's serious notice of the passage of a bill raising the salary and perks of the Chief Minister Punjab as well as all law makers is specific to the massive increase in salary and perks of the Chief Minister alone or whether it extends to the salary of all provincial lawmakers. A few lawmakers told Business Recorder that the Prime Minister's directions are Punjab Chief Minister-specific as the Punjab lawmakers were drawing salaries lower than their counterparts in other provinces.
The following table shows the perks and privileges enjoyed by the Punjab chief minister and other law makers before and after the bill as well as those enjoyed by their counterparts in other provinces. The salary of federal ministers, including the prime minister, would be lower than that drawn by the Punjab assembly chief minister and members after the passage of the bill. The Prime Minister draws a net after tax salary of 196979, the Speaker National Assembly and federal ministers draw a salary of Rs 200,000 per month. A member of National Assembly receives a basic salary of Rs 150,000, and is also entitled to Rs8,000 per month for office maintenance, free landline or cash compensation worth Rs 10,000 with a sumptuary allowance of Rs5,000.
Other lawmakers told this correspondent the Prime Minister was disappointed in the Punjab Chief Minister seeking a massive raise in his own perks and privileges, inclusive of the state providing all those chief ministers who do not have a residence in Lahore with a house and a 2,500cc vehicle for life. A spokesman for provincial government said that concerned standing committee of the house will look into the matter of an amendment to the bill and added that the chief minister and some other PTI members had also expressed reservations at the bill.
He said that since the bill was unanimously passed by the Punjab Assembly and after the signature of Governor Punjab, it will become law, there is no other option but to move an amendment to the bill. "I personally think that the time to raise salaries of the lawmakers was not appropriate despite the fact that the intent of the House in passing the bill was not wrong," he added.
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PUNJAB
Current PROPOSED SINDH KP BALOCHISTAN
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1. Provincial Minis 80,000 275,000 150,500 265,500 550,000
2. Chief Minister 84,000 425,000 245,000 290,000 600,000
3. Speaker 59,000 260,000 220,000 193,000 618,000
4. Deputy speaker 55,000 245,000 210,000 170,000 570,000
5. MPAs 83,000 195,000 143,000 155,800 440,000
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