PM takes notice of 5fold rise in salaries of Senate chairman, NA speaker
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken immediate notice of massive jump in the salaries of chairman Senate, deputy chairman Senate, speaker of the National Assembly, and the deputy speaker, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday, quoting sources.
The sources further confided to the TV channel that the prime minister has sought detailed reports from both the Senate chairman and the National Assembly speaker regarding the rationale behind the proposed huge pay raises.
Shehbaz Sharif is expected to deliver a final ruling on the issue of the salaries after receiving reports from Senate chairman and the NA speaker.
The premier’s action came amid rising public scrutiny of government expenditures and demands for transparency in fiscal matters.
A day earlier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif strongly criticised the increase in the salaries of Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker.
Taking to X platform, Khawaja Asif said that the increase in the salaries of custodians of both the houses is “financial vulgarity”. He urged the lawmakers to consider the plight of a common man, stating, “Our dignity and honour depend entirely on the well-being of ordinary citizen.”
سپیکر ،ڈپٹی سپیکر چیئرمین سینیٹ، ڈپٹی چیئرمین سینیٹ کی تنخواہ میں اور مالی مراعات میں بے تحاشہ اضافہ مالی فحاشی کے زمرے میں آتا ھے۔ عام آدمی کی زندگی کو ذہن میں رکھیں ھماری تمام عزت آبرو اسکی مرھون منت ھے۔۔
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) June 11, 2025
Finance minister defends hike in salaries
Putting up a stout defence of the recent increase in salaries of the Senate chairman and the National Assembly speaker, Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, during his post-budget conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, claimed that the last time their salaries were “adjusted” was in 2016.
The minister emphasised that the hike was “all of a sudden” as it had not been done for the past nine years.
The barrage of criticism came days after the government issued a notification — just ahead of the federal budget — announcing a staggering 500pc increase in the monthly salaries of the Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker. Their salaries have been raised from Rs205,000 to Rs1.3 million, with the hike set to take effect from January 1, 2025.
It merits mention here that President Asif Ali Zardari had also signed an ordinance allowing up to 140pc increase in the salaries of federal ministers last month. As a result, their pay was increased from Rs218,000 to Rs519,000, also effective from January 2025.
Earlier this year, the government approved 300pc increase in the monthly salaries of MNAs and Senators, raising their pay from Rs180,000 to Rs519,000.
Parliamentary sources revealed that lawmakers initially demanded a further increase, seeking Rs1 million per month, but Speaker Ayaz Sadiq rejected the proposal and finalised the salary at Rs519,000.
Reporter Awais Kiyani