ISLAMABAD: The Finance Committee has approved increasing the salaries of MNAs and senators, making their monthly pay up to Rs519,000 effective from January 1, 2025.
According to the Finance Committee, the salaries of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly would remain at Rs218,000 per month as their salaries could not be revised.
Earlier, a proposal was submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, recommending that the salaries and benefits of lawmakers be aligned with those of a federal secretary.
The proposal was passed by the National Assembly’s finance committee before being forwarded to the prime minister by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq. The proposal suggested a fixed monthly salary and allowances for MNAs and senators at Rs519,000, which are equivalent to the federal secretary’s monthly salary and allowance after deductions.
Previously, demands to raise the monthly salaries to Rs1 million were rejected by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
However, the current initiative has gained support from various parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and others, who argue that there should be parity between lawmakers and high-ranking federal officials.
Notably, 67 lawmakers from the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also submitted written requests advocating for a salary hike.
The finance committee has also proposed extending federal secretary-level benefits and facilities to parliamentarians.
Currently, the monthly salary and benefits of lawmakers amount to Rs218,000, which is significantly lower than the proposed amount of Rs519,000. The approved increase is expected to bring the salaries of MNAs and senators more in line with those of other high-ranking government officials.
