K-P lawmakers' pay hike ruled unlawful

A proposal to increase the salaries of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) has been declared in violation of the Constitution, as it bypassed the mandatory approval of the Finance Committee.

Sources revealed that the decision to raise salaries was initially made without referring the matter to the Finance Committee, which holds exclusive authority under Article 88 of the Constitution to determine such financial matters related to assembly expenses. Article 88, along with Article 127 (applicable to provinces), vests control over assembly expenditures, including salaries and allowances, in the Finance Committee.

The issue surfaced during a meeting on February 2, when the provincial Law Minister tabled a motion for the salary increase. The motion was referred to the relevant Standing Committee for review. Upon examination, committee members pointed out that any adjustment to salaries and allowances constitutes a financial matter falling under the purview of the Finance Committee, rendering the direct approach unconstitutional.

According to informed sources, the Standing Committee, after reviewing the constitutional provisions, concluded that salaries and allowances of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and MPAs are part of assembly expenditures. Therefore, the determination of their rates must be handled by the Finance Committee.

Consequently, the matter has been forwarded to the K-P Assembly's Finance Committee for further consideration. Once the committee finalizes the proposed increase rates, a draft will be sent to the cabinet for approval.

Current salary figures, as per budget documents, show the Speaker receiving up to Rs354,000 per month, the Deputy Speaker Rs367,000 per month, and an MPA up to Rs108,000 per month.