Salaries of lawmakers: Senate rejects 'controversial' bills

The Senate on Monday finally rejected the three 'controversial' bills which recommended mega increase in the salaries of lawmakers, following heated debate in the Upper House of the Parliament.

During the Senate session, six senators with different political affiliations; Sajjad Turi, the Chief Whip of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Senate, Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar (Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz), Dr Ashok Kumar (National Party), Naseebullah Bazai (independent), Dilawar Khan (independent) and Shamim Afridi (independent) moved for leave to introduce three bills.

These bills, 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 speaker National Assembly-from the present Rs 225,000 to Rs 879,000.

Likewise, 100 per cent increase has been recommended in the salaries of parliamentarians from Rs 150,000to Rs 300,000 and also increasing the salaries of deputy chairman Senate and deputy speaker NA has been recommended.

The bills also recommend increasing the travel allowance of parliamentarians and entitlement of allocation of 25 business class tickets for each lawmaker including their spouses and children to travel within Pakistan. Taking the floor, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Azam Swati strongly opposed the bills, saying they lacked any "moral justification for their introduction at a time when the country is faced with tough economic conditions and Prime Minister Imran Khan is relentlessly pursuing the policy of austerity by cutting down on government expenditures."

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader in Senate Sherry Rehman said, "This is not the right time for these kinds of bills. The PPP is not going to support these bills."

Sherry said some senators lacked any other source of income and are entirely dependent on their salaries they are entitled to as members of the upper house. "Still, we believe, at a time when the people of Pakistan have been excessively burdened with inflation and lack of job opportunities due to the follies of this government, there is no justification for us the parliamentarians to seek increase in our salaries."

Parliamentary Leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif from the treasury benches supported the bills. "There is no one in this house that would disagree to the fact that the salaries of the parliamentarians need to be increased. Yet, few are willing to openly demand this increase."

Saif said those senators who do not want an increase in salaries can "donate their money to the poor." Usman Kakar from Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) came down hard on Swati, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, for opposing the bills. "Mr Swati is a 'filthy' rich man. He can bear the expenses of the entire Parliament. For people like him, salaries are just peanuts that don't matter at all. It doesn't matter to him if his salary as a member of this house is increased, decreased or he does not get salary at all. He is a billionaire, after all." Following clear divide on the issue, the house decided to vote on the motions to introduce the three bills. During the voting on The Chairman and Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, 29 senators voted against the bill while 16 voted in its favour, leading to its rejection.

Through voice vote, the house rejected the other two bills; The Deputy Chairman and Deputy Speaker (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2020, and The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

Meanwhile, the Senate passed the government's bill, the Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates Bill, 2020. "Upon the death of an individual, the legal heirs languish in courts for years before they are able to obtain letters of administration (for immovable properties and succession certificates (for movable properties). Nearly half of the population of Pakistan is likely to be involved in litigation, whereby courts are required to issue orders for the grants of letters of Administration and Succession Certificates, Via this legislation, wherever, NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) has a Citizen Database, and there is no dispute amongst the legal heirs, it may, after inviting public objections in newspapers, issue Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates without the need of approaching courts. This law will also prevent fraudulent practice where there is no facility to swear affidavits through a bio-metric NADRA facility. The mechanism envisaged in the statute shall considerably reduce the burden on the courts," the draft of the bill says. The bill has already been passed by the National Assembly. Following ascent of President Arif Alvi, it will become a law.

The Senate would meet again today.