Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly has approved an amendment to substantially increase the salaries and allowances of its members.
The bill, presented by Romina Khurshid Alam, was passed by a majority vote.
Under the new amendment, the monthly salary and allowances for Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Senators have been elevated to Rs. 519,000, aligning their compensation with that of federal secretaries. Previously, MNAs received a monthly salary of Rs. 218,000.
During the session, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq addressed the members, stating, “You criticize the parliament as fake and yet do not take it seriously. Any member who does not wish to receive the increased salary should submit a written statement.”
Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar echoed this sentiment, suggesting that members unwilling to accept the higher salary inform the Speaker’s office accordingly.
Members from various parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), supported the salary increase. Initially, there was a proposal to raise the monthly salary to Rs. 1 million, but Speaker Sadiq dismissed this suggestion.
This development follows a recent move by the Punjab Assembly, which approved a bill to increase the monthly salaries of its members to Rs. 500,000.
The approved salary adjustments reflect the parliament’s decision to align members’ compensation with that of federal secretaries, aiming to recognize their roles and responsibilities within the government.
