The Sindh Assembly’s committee has approved a massive raise in the salaries of its members, almost 200% higher than before. Lawmakers who were earning Rs150,000 a month will now receive Rs430,000 monthly.
The decision was made in a recent committee meeting chaired by Speaker Owais Qadir Shah. He explained that members of the Sindh Assembly were earning much less compared to legislators in other provinces, and this gap needed to be fixed.
With this revision, Sindh lawmakers’ salaries will now be closer to the level of their peers in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.
The new package is not limited to just basic salaries. It also includes a rise in annual allowances and daily session allowances, which means members will get paid more for attending assembly sessions and for other official duties.
In addition to this raise, a separate law is being drafted to review and update the compensation of senior officeholders such as the chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, and opposition leader. These officials are expected to see increases in their pay and perks as well.
Both government and opposition members will now enjoy equal benefits. These include allowances for housing, utilities, travel, medical expenses, and office support staff. The goal, according to the committee, is to ensure fairness across the board so that all members, regardless of their political side, receive the same facilities.
This decision is likely to spark debate, as such a big raise comes at a time when ordinary citizens are struggling with high inflation and economic challenges.
