Federal Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has provided the Senate with a breakdown of salaries, allowances, and benefits received by federal ministers and parliamentarians.
During the Senate’s question hour, Minister Tarar disclosed that Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) are paid a monthly salary of Rs156,000. However, they are not provided with official vehicles and receive only Rs8,000 per month to cover utility bills.
He further revealed that federal ministers earn around Rs200,000 monthly, with 95% of them choosing not to take their full salary. Ministers are entitled to a 1500cc vehicle and 400 litres of petrol but must personally cover their electricity and gas expenses, as no additional official perks are provided.
Regarding salary adjustments, Tarar noted that economic constraints are often cited as the reason Parliament refrains from increasing public officials’ salaries.
In a separate development, the interior ministry presented a written statement addressing the National Database and Registration Authority’s (Nadra) adherence to austerity measures. The ministry stated that Nadra had refrained from vehicle purchases over the past two years in line with cost-cutting policies. However, in 2022, Nadra spent Rs264.3 million to acquire 35 vehicles for operational use, including two coaches and a bus for staff transport.
Senator Dinesh Kumar expressed concerns about the luxury vehicles used for staff pick-and-drop services.
