The National Assembly has approved an amendment proposed by the Pakistan People’s Party to increase the salaries and allowances of its members.
Presented by PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel, the amendment aims to enhance the perks and privileges for parliament members. This modification to the Salary and Allowances Act is being implemented through the Finance Bill. Despite opposition from various quarters, the amendment was passed by a majority vote.
As a result, the travel allowance for assembly members has been raised from Rs. 10 per kilometer to Rs. 25 per kilometer. Additionally, unused annual airline tickets for parliament members will now carry over to the following year instead of being cancelled. The number of annual travel vouchers has also been increased from 25 to 30.
Moreover, the responsibility for determining the salaries and allowances of parliament members has been shifted from the federal government to the finance committee of the respective house.