Islamabad:
Despite the high claims of austerity and the adjustment of the belt by the Government led by PML-N, the federal cabinet has approved a summary to increase the salaries of the ministers, ministers of the State and advisors, massively collecting its payment to RS519,000 per month.
The increase occurred when the government recognized the financial tension in the salaried class due to taxes that, according to the statistics provided in the Chamber of Representatives of Parliament, were heavy.
According to the sources, the increase is equivalent to an amazing increase of 188%, giving ministers a beautiful unexpected gain at a time when common citizens are asked to press the belts due to excessive taxes.
Development occurs two months after the National Assembly Finance Committee approved an increase in AMN wages and assignments, putting them in line with federal secretaries.
The committee, chaired by President Ayaz Sadiq, had unanimously approved the salary increase for parliamentarians.
In the recent past, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had more to double the size of the federal cabinet, increasing its members from 21 to 43, including 30 federal ministers, nine state ministers and four advisors.
The new names also include four special assistants for the Prime Minister, which means that the general size of the Prime Minister’s team is now 51 members, including eight SAPM.
According to article 92 of the Constitution, it cannot be more than a quarter of the federal ministers of the state of the Senate, and the total size of the cabinet cannot exceed 11 percent of the total parliamentary membership.
Currently, the National Assembly and the Senate have 336 and 96 members, respectively, with a total of 432. Having a considerable federal cabinet is not a new phenomenon in the country, since almost all previous regimes have claimed that they would maintain their small size, but then packed their cabinets.
Ironically, Railroad Minister Azhar Kayani, on Friday to the National Assembly that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has repeatedly recognized the issue of excessive tax burden on salaried people.
However, due to the fragile economic situation of the country, immediate relief was not possible. “We hope to reach a position soon where relief can be provided,” Kayani added, without specifying a deadline.
