Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday took notice of a significant and controversial salary hike granted to the Senate chairman and the National Assembly speaker.
Sources privy to the development said, the premier has sought a detailed report from both the Chairman Senate and the Speaker National Assembly regarding the salary revision.
A decision on the matter will be taken in light of the report’s findings, the sources added.
The move comes in the wake of a notification issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs confirming a considerable increase in the monthly remuneration of the two presiding officers.
As per the notification dated May 29, their salaries have been raised from Rs205,000 to a staggering Rs1.3 million — an increase of over 534 per cent.
Additionally, both office-holders will receive a 50 per cent temporary allowance over and above the revised salary. The new pay structure will take effect from January 1, 2025.
This development follows earlier salary adjustments across the federal legislature and cabinet. In March, federal ministers, ministers of state, and advisers saw their salaries jump by up to 188 per cent.
A summary circulated among the cabinet, which was subsequently approved, led to amendments in the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State (Salaries and Allowances) Act, 1975.
Following the revision, the monthly salary of federal ministers now stands at Rs519,000 — up from Rs200,000 — while ministers of state have seen their earnings rise from Rs180,000 to Rs519,000 as well.
The substantial increase, approved quietly through circulation, drew criticism from economic experts and civil society, who questioned the timing and rationale behind the pay hikes.
Earlier this year, the Finance Committee of the National Assembly approved a similar increase for Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and senators. Their monthly salaries were also revised to Rs519,000, marking a 143 per cent hike from their previous pay packages.
Despite public outrage and economic strain, no official justification has been provided regarding the need for such sweeping raises. The cumulative effect of the new pay structures is expected to place a heavier burden on the national exchequer.
