Parliamentarians seek unprecedented increase in salaries

Just a few days after Prime Minister Imran Khan strongly refuted the reports of any increase in his salary, the members of the Upper House of the Parliament, including those from the ruling PTI, are seeking unprecedented increase in the salaries of the parliamentarians with related bills being introduced in the Senate session tomorrow (Monday).

The Senate session's agenda for Monday reveals six senators with different political affiliations-Sajjad Turi, the chief whip of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasir from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Dr Ashok Kumar of National Party, Naseebullah Bazai (independent), Dilawar Khan (independent) and Shamim Afridi (independent)-are scheduled to introduce the related bills in the Senate.

These bills including the Chairman and Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the Deputy Chairman and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, respectively, seek almost four times increase in the salaries of chairman Senate and the speaker National Assembly from current Rs 225,000 per month to Rs 879,000 per month, major increase in the salaries of deputy chairman Senate and deputy speaker NA, and 100 percent increase in the salaries of parliamentarians from Rs 150,000 to Rs 300,000.

The bills also recommend increase in the travel allowance of parliamentarians and entitlement of allocation of 25 business class tickets for each lawmaker per year including their spouses and children to travel within Pakistan.

The bills are expected to be referred to the relevant Senate standing committees. If passed by the committee, the bills would go back to Senate for passage. In case, they get the Senate's nod, the bills would go to NA to seek the Lower House's nod. In case they get passed by both the houses of the Parliament, the bills would seek the ascent of the President of Pakistan to become laws.

Earlier on Thursday, the PM's Office strongly refuted the news suggesting an increase in the salary of the PM. "At a time when the PM is trying to curtail the government's expenditures using all possible options, it is very unfortunate to spread such fabricated and false news," the PM's Office said in a statement.