Zardari stays Salary increase for Sindh ministers, lawmakers

Naimat Khan

KARACHI: Former President of Pakistan and Co-Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, Asif Ali Zardari, while taking notice of media reports on the massive increase in the salaries of Sindh’s lawmakers, on Saturday restrained the chief minister from implementing the order.

Earlier in the day, Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah approved a summary to increase his own salary by more than 300 per cent.

According to reports the chief minister used to draw Rs35000, which under the new summary was increased to Rs150,000. The new house rent and maintenance allowances stood at Rs140,000.

Taimur Talpur, a member of the Sindh Assembly, said former president Zardari directed Shah not to implement the order due to the “country’s present economic situation”.

According to reports, the salary of the speaker was increased from Rs80,000 to Rs150,000. The deputy speaker will get Rs140,000 instead of Rs70,000, according to the new order.

The salaries of ministers and advisers were also increased from Rs30,000 to Rs75,000, excluding the allowances.