Sadiq, Gilani deny role in salary hike

"Any increment in our salary can be reversed by the government if it wishes," NA Speaker says

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ISLAMABAD:

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Friday clarified he had no role in the phenomenal raise in the salaries of the custodians of the upper and lower house of parliament, and that those who had given that raise could also withdraw it.

Sadiq was responding to a comment of the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, who during the budget session on Friday, said the government speaks of austerity but is committing "financial obscenity".

The phrase — financial obscenity — was earlier used by the defense minister, Khawaja Asif, to describe a 500% raise in the salaries of the NA speaker and deputy speaker and the Senate chairman and deputy chairman.

A report citing sources had claimed that Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, who belongs to the PPP, presided over a meeting of the House Finance Committee a few months back to approve the raise in his own salary as well as that of the deputy chairman, Sardar Syedaal Khan Nasar of the PML-N

It also claimed that NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N chaired a similar meeting of the NA's House Finance Committee to "quietly" greenlight a raise in his own salary and that of the NA deputy speaker, a post held by PPP's Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah.

Responding to Omar's comment on Friday, Ayaz Sadiq said that neither the finance committees nor they themselves raised their salaries. "Those who have raised our salaries can also withdraw that raise. Any increment in our salary can be reversed by the government if it wishes," he added.

Meanwhile, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday also reportedly distanced himself from the massive hike in the salaries of senior parliamentarians including himself, saying he was not consulted before the raise was approved.

A May 29 notification revealed that the Senate chairman and NA speaker's salaries had been raised from Rs205,000 to Rs1.3m, besides 50% of the revised salary (Rs650,000) as the sumptuary allowance. The hike took effect from January 2025.