ISLAMABAD, JULY 4 (DNA): National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq penned a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, distancing himself from the recent controversy surrounding an increase in his salary.
This move comes in the wake of strong criticism from Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif regarding the pay hike for top parliamentary positions.
Sources indicate that in his letter, Sadiq clearly said that he had “nothing to do with the issue” of his salary increase and expressed his willingness for his pay to remain unchanged.
“No matter if my salary is not increased. I have nothing to do with the issue,” he conveyed in the letter.
He has also refused to accept the increased salary, leaving the matter of increase in his salary to PM Shehbaz to decide as National Assembly sources said that the premier and the federal cabinet could take a decision in this regard.
“Neither have I any interest in the increase nor have I any interest with the matter,” the speaker said, distancing himself from the matter.
Asif has been a vocal critic of these salary increments, publicly labelling them as “financial obscenity” and urging lawmakers to be mindful of the common person’s struggles.
“The massive increase in salaries and financial perks of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Senate Chairman and Deputy Chairman falls under the category of financial obscenity. Please keep the life of the common man in mind — we owe our honour and dignity to them,” the defence minister wrote on X.
The sources said the defence minister is also criticising the speaker on increase in the salary of the Senate chairman.
The speaker, however, avoided to respond to harsh criticism from the defence minister.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the National Assembly Secretariat has issued a clarification over the matter. The spokesperson has clarified that the summary for the speaker’s salary increase was prepared by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
It was also stated that neither the speaker’s Office nor the National Assembly Secretariat was involved in this process. He said that the summary for the raise was forwarded by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and approved by the federal cabinet.
Following the cabinet approval, the notification for the salary increase was issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.
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