Pakistan MPs approve bill to increase their salary by 138% amid economic crisis

Pakistan’s parliament on Tuesday approved a bill that more than doubles the salaries of its lawmakers from PKR 218,000 to PKR 519,000 (approximately INR 1.62 lakh).
The bill raises the parliamentarians’ pay by a staggering 138 percent, bringing it in line with the salaries of federal secretaries.
The bill, already cleared by the Senate, now awaits the final approval of President Asif Ali Zardari. Once signed, it will officially become law.
The process for the salary hike began on January 26, when the National Assembly’s finance committee, headed by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, gave its nod to the proposal. Subsequently, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Romina Khurshid Alam tabled the Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025, which was passed by a majority in the National Assembly.
What raised eyebrows was the lack of opposition to the bill. Members of the opposition and the treasury benches remained silent during the proceedings at a time when the country was grappling with a severe economic crisis and inflation.