ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly approved a 25 per cent pay cut for its 336 members on Wednesday, reducing monthly salaries from Rs519,000 to Rs389,250 for a period of two months.
The reduction, which takes effect immediately, is expected to save the lower house roughly Rs43.6 million per month. The cut aligns with austerity measures recently announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aimed at mitigating the economic fallout from ongoing Middle East crises. However, the lawmakers will continue to receive a range of allowances and benefits, leaving overall remuneration largely unchanged.
A senior leader of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who declined to be named, described the measure as a “joke” designed to create the impression that members of the National Assembly were sacrificing their pay.
Some analysts say the move is unlikely to have a meaningful fiscal impact. “In the context of Pakistan’s bloated public expenditure and the scale of the fiscal deficit, this adjustment is trivial,” said independent political analyst Imran Mukhtar.
He added that ordinary citizens are facing steep increases in the cost of living, while political leaders remain largely insulated from financial hardship.
“The optics of cutting salaries while leaving allowances untouched may reinforce perceptions of inequality between lawmakers and the public,” Mukhtar said. “It sends a weak signal about the government’s commitment to austerity.”
Observers note that the country’s political elite have previously announced similar symbolic measures. While headlines focus on pay cuts, structural reforms to curb government spending remain limited, and discretionary benefits for lawmakers continue to be generous.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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