In Pakistan, the public crushed under poverty, inflation, and unemployment face a new crisis every day. On one hand, securing two meals a day has become a challenge, while on the other, spring has arrived in the form of salaries and perks for the country’s parliamentary leadership.
On June 6, a notification was quietly issued by Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. According to the notification, the salaries of the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the Senate have been increased from PKR 205,000 to PKR 1.3 million, an increase of over 600%. Similarly, the salaries of Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Senators have been increased from PKR 180,000 to nearly PKR 700,000.
These figures are not just financial increments – they are akin to rubbing salt into the wounds of the poor. The country’s dire economic situation is no secret. According to official statistics, over 40% of Pakistanis live below the poverty line.
The inflation rate is constantly doubling, and prices of electricity, gas, and petrol have become unaffordable for the common man. Millions of young people have lost hope in the future due to rampant unemployment. In such a context, raising the salaries of the national leadership by such a vast margin feels not just unethical but downright cruel. The very essence of parliamentary democracy is to represent the people and legislate solutions to their problems.
Isn’t it time our representatives focus less on increasing salary digits and more on earning the blessings and prayers of the people?
But when elected representatives become more interested in increasing their own salaries and perks instead of addressing public issues, one must question – who really benefits from this system? A PKR 1.3 million salary for the Speaker and Chairman Senate is a cruel joke on the common citizen – especially when the people they claim to represent are struggling to afford basic necessities like flour, milk, and sugar for breakfast.
What’s even more shocking is that this salary increase was implemented at a time when the government only approved a 10% raise for government employees in the national budget – and increased its own salaries by 600% without anyone noticing.
The government is drafting the budget with loans from the IMF, while core sectors like education, healthcare, and municipal services are in decline. There are no medicines in hospitals, no teachers in schools, and clean drinking water is a luxury in many cities. Yet, a PKR 1.3 million monthly salary for parliamentarians is considered “necessary.”Would such a decision ever be made if the Speaker and Chairman Senate had to serve a single day without a salary? Pakistan’s farmers and laborers toil from dawn to dusk. A laborer earns less than PKR 1,000 per day, and the crops grown by farmers often sell below the official support price. A laborer would need to work for 35 years to earn PKR 1.3 million – yet our “elected representatives” earn it in just one month, simply by attending assembly sessions.
This recent salary increase makes one seriously question whether politics is truly about public service – or just a means to acquire power, perks, and wealth. When someone becomes a part of parliament, they are supposed to be a representative of the people – but when they pass their own salary bills, they become part of the elite ruling class.Under Speaker Ayaz Sadiq’s leadership, this pay raise has made a mockery of public trust. When we compare this to Europe or other developed nations, parliamentarians’ salaries there are only slightly higher than regular civil servants – and they are subject to strict accountability.In a developing country like Pakistan, where half the population lives below the poverty line, granting PKR 1.3 million per month to the Speaker and Chairman Senate is not only unjust – it is inhuman. On one side, retired government employees are running from court to court for pension increases, widows are pushed and shoved in lines for BISP payments, and orphaned children attend school without books or uniforms.On the other side, those sitting in the upper and lower houses of Parliament are not only happy with this salary hike, but consider it their “right.” The public is extremely frustrated with this decision, and it has triggered a storm of outrage on social media. Decisions like these fuel hatred and mistrust of the parliament among the people.
People are asking – Was our vote only meant to secure pay raises for politicians? When subsidies for the poor are withdrawn, when the sick die without medicine, and when children cry from hunger, these salary hikes feel less like a bandage and more like a dagger in the wound. The real strength of parliament lies in its credibility and public trust, not in high salaries and perks.If the parliamentary leadership does not set its priorities straight under the current circumstances, these decisions will not only deepen the economic crisis but will also severely damage public confidence.
Isn’t it time our representatives focus less on increasing salary digits and more on earning the blessings and prayers of the people? This is the moment to reconsider this decision. Such an enormous pay raise is not only an injustice to the public – it also damages the credibility of our national institutions.
If these individuals are truly representatives of the people, they must prove they stand with the people, not above them. The government must reflect on who it is trying to please – the people, or themselves? If this trend continues, the halls of power will not be able to withstand the echo of public anger and grief.
The writer is an old Aitchisonian who believes in freedom of expression, a freelance columnist, entrepreneur and social activist.