Federal Ministers’ salaries and perks revealed in Senate briefing

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has shared a detailed overview of the salaries, allowances, and perks of federal ministers and parliamentarians during the Senate’s question hour.

Minister Tarar informed the Senate that Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) receive a monthly salary of Rs156,000. However, he clarified that parliamentarians are not provided with official vehicles and instead receive a monthly allowance of Rs8,000 for utility bills.

Regarding the salaries of federal ministers, Tarar revealed that they earn approximately Rs200,000 per month, with 95% of them choosing not to accept their full pay. Ministers are allocated a 1500cc car and 400 litres of petrol each month. However, they are required to cover their own electricity and gas bills, as they do not receive any additional official perks.

When questioned about potential salary increases for public officials, Tarar explained that Parliament often cites economic constraints as the reason for not granting raises to government employees and officials.

In addition, the interior ministry provided a written response regarding the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)’s adherence to austerity measures. According to the ministry, NADRA has not purchased any vehicles in the past two years in line with its cost-cutting policy.

However, in 2022, the authority procured 35 vehicles, worth Rs264.3 million, to facilitate staff transportation and operational purposes, including two coaches and one bus for staff pick-and-drop services.

Senator Dinesh Kumar expressed concerns over the luxury vehicles being used for pick-and-drop services, prompting further scrutiny and discussion in the Senate.