ISLAMABAD: Significant disparities in salaries and benefits across federal government institutions have come to light, with employees of more than 50 organisations reportedly receiving allowances and incentives exceeding 100 per cent of their basic pay.
According to official sources, staff working in several federal institutions are being paid substantially higher salaries than employees of the same grade serving in regular government ministries and departments. In some cases, total compensation packages are said to be two to three times higher than those offered in the standard civil service structure.
Officials familiar with the government’s pay system said the institutions benefiting from enhanced allowances include the President’s Secretariat, Prime Minister’s Office, National Assembly Secretariat, Senate Secretariat, higher courts, the National Accountability Bureau, intelligence agencies, tax authorities and various specialised tribunals and courts.
The list also includes certain educational, rehabilitation and healthcare institutions, law enforcement organisations and autonomous bodies that receive additional financial incentives beyond the standard government pay scale.
Over the years, the federal government has approved special allowances for selected institutions on various grounds, including performance-based incentives, operational requirements and the retention of skilled personnel. However, the practice has resulted in multiple pay structures existing within the same government framework.
As a result, officers holding identical grades may receive significantly different salaries depending on the institution in which they serve. For example, a Grade-20 officer working in a regular ministry may earn considerably less than a Grade-20 officer employed by an organisation that offers special allowances.
Critics argue that the widening gap has undermined the principle of a uniform government pay structure and created what some bureaucrats describe as a “government within a government.”
In an effort to address growing concerns, the Ministry of Finance previously introduced the Disparity Reduction Allowance (DRA) for employees of the Federal Secretariat who were not receiving special benefits. While the measure acknowledged the growing imbalance, many government employees outside the Secretariat remained excluded.
The issue continues to fuel debate over fairness, transparency and compensation reforms within Pakistan’s federal bureaucracy.