LAHORE, Pakistan: The Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Mazari has justified the surge in salaries and allowances of the provincial lawmakers, resorting to defiance of what Prime Minister Imran Khan had earlier denounced.
“There is no wrong move in raising salaries,” Dost Mazari said while talking to media on Thursday.
Dost Mazari said that the bill was passed on demand of the provincial assembly members following the high inflation in the Country.
It is worth noting that Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed his extreme disappointment over the Punjab Assembly’s decision to raise pays and privileges of its Members, the Provincial Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and other Provincial Ministers.
In a tweet earlier in the day, the prime minister said that such a move could be justified once prosperity returns to the Country.
Imran Khan said that this decision is untenable as currently we do not have resources to provide basic amenities to all our people.
پنجاب اسمبلی کی جانب سے اراکین اسمبلی، وزراء خصوصاً وزیراعلیٰ کی تنخواہوں اور مراعات میں اضافے کا فیصلہ سخت مایوس کن ہے۔ پاکستان خوشحال ہوجائے تو شاید یہ قابلِ فہم ہو مگر ایسے میں جب عوام کو بنیادی سہولیات کی فراہمی کیلئے بھی وسائل دستیاب نہیں، یہ فیصلہ بالکل بلاجواز ہے۔
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 14, 2019
The Punjab Assembly unanimously approved a private bill yesterday, after which, the members of Punjab Assembly (MPAs) are now entitled to Rs 80,000 per month rather than Rs 18,000 and their utility bills entitlement has gone up to Rs 200,000 instead of earlier Rs 120,000.
