The federal government of Pakistan approved a 535% salary increase for the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, and the Senate Chairman, Yousuf Raza Gillani.
The monthly salary of the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Senate Chairman will rise from PKR 205,000 to PKR 1.3 million, effective January 1, 2025. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs announced this salary hike via a notification, sparking nationwide debate.
The salary adjustment, sanctioned under Section 19AA of the Chairman and Speaker (Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges) Act, 1975, includes a 50% sumptuary allowance. This follows a February 2025 amendment bill aligning parliamentarians’ salaries with federal secretaries, raising MNAs and Senators’ pay to PKR 519,000. Federal ministers also saw a 159% increase to PKR 519,000 via a presidential ordinance.
اور ظلم ہو رہا ہے مگر ہمارے ادارے خاموش!!
چیئرمین سینٹ اور اسپیکر قومی اسمبلی کی تنخواہوں میں 500 فیصد سے زائد اضافہ!! pic.twitter.com/d9pK93oAJJ
— M Azhar Siddique (@AzharSiddique) June 6, 2025The recent salary increases for the National Assembly Speaker and the Senate Chairman occur against the backdrop of Pakistan’s economic challenges, where 45% of the population lives below the poverty line. Supporters of the raises argue that these adjustments are necessary to keep pace with inflation and align with the salaries of federal secretaries. However, it is important to note that the Finance Committee, chaired by Sadiq, does not have the authority to adjust the Speaker’s salaries.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s January 2025 approval of parliamentarians’ raises, effective via the Finance Committee’s January 25 decision, set a precedent. The Punjab Assembly’s 426% MPA salary hike in December 2024 further highlights regional pay adjustments. The parliamentary salary hike aims to standardise compensation but excludes the Deputy Speaker.
