Festive mood in Punjab Assembly as MPAs, ministers get whooping salary raise
Pakistan
Speaker's salary will increase from Rs125,000 to Rs950,000 after bill approval
Salaries of provincial ministers will rise from Rs100,000 to whooping Rs960,000
Deputy speaker, parliamentary secretaries also beneficiaries of govt generosity
Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Ahmed Khan Bhachar raises objection to bill
LAHORE (Dunya News) – In a significant development, the Punjab Assembly on Monday passed a bill increasing salaries of members of the august house from Rs76,000 to Rs400,000.
More importantly, after the bill's approval, the salaries of provincial ministers will rise from Rs100,000 to a whooping Rs960,000.
Following the approval, the Speaker's salary will increase from Rs125,000 to Rs950,000.
The deputy speaker's salary has been raised from Rs120,000 to Rs775,000, while the salary of parliamentary secretaries will increase from Rs83,000 to Rs451,000.
Additionally, after the bill's approval, the salary of special assistants will rise from Rs100,000 to Rs665,000, and the salary of advisers will also increase from Rs100,000 to Rs665,000.
Read more: Punjab Assembly session today, MPAs salaries to rise
According to sources, the bill will come into effect on Jan 1, 2025. The passage of the salary increase bill received overwhelming support from the assembly members.
After getting the formal nod, members were seen ecstatic and congratulating one another.
Nevertheless, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Ahmed Khan Bhachar raised objection whether the bill was in line with the Parliamentary Rules Act of 1972.
Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan asserted that the bill was completely aligned with existing laws while lauding the government for the raise.
In the ‘statement of objects and reasons’, the bill noted that “increase in their salaries was made in 2019 and the emoluments drawn by them are very low and inadequate in the prevailing circumstances.”
It also noted that “the perks, including salaries and allowances, of Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Members of Provincial Assembly, Parliamentary Secretaries, Advisors, Special Assistants and Ministers are governed by their respective laws and every time a revision in their perks was needed, relevant laws were required to be amended by the Assembly.”
