The Sindh Assembly’s 18-member committee, chaired by Speaker Owais Qadir Shah, has approved a significant increase in the salaries and perks for provincial lawmakers, raising their monthly pay from Rs150,000 to Rs430,000.
The decision, made during a meeting on Wednesday, comes after a review of compensation packages in other provincial legislatures, with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker and committee member Imtiaz Shaikh stating that Sindh’s lawmakers were receiving comparatively lower salaries. “It was pointed out that Sindh legislators’ salaries are lower than those of other assemblies and needed to be brought in line,” Shaikh said.
For comparison, members of the Punjab Assembly currently receive around Rs500,000 per month in salaries and allowances.
In addition to the pay hike, the committee approved increases in lawmakers’ annual allowances and daily session allowances. A separate proposal is being prepared to revise the salaries and perks of top officials such as the chief minister, speaker, deputy speaker, ministers, opposition leader, and parliamentary secretaries through legislation.
The meeting was attended by Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar and members from PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Jamaat-e-Islami, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed legislators.
On August 9, the Sindh Assembly passed a bill that increased the salaries and privileges of its members. The bill, introduced by Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, was unanimously approved by the House and had previously been cleared by the provincial cabinet. The new law ensures equal privileges for all MPAs, regardless of party affiliation, covering hospitality, house rent, utilities, daily and conveyance allowances, accommodation, travel, medical facilities, and office maintenance.
