ISLAMABAD, JUN 13 /DNA/ – A sharp public rebuke has landed at the desk of the Islamabad Post this week, as a citizen accused the country’s political leadership of deepening the chasm between the ruling elite and ordinary Pakistanis through what she calls “lavish self-reward” in the recent federal budget.
In a strongly worded letter to the editor, Islamabad resident Kashmala Mehmood condemned the government’s approval of a 500% salary increase for top parliamentary officials, including the National Assembly Speaker and the Senate Chairman. The move, she argues, stands in grotesque contrast to a national budget ostensibly crafted to tackle the country’s most urgent crises.
“While millions of Pakistanis struggle daily to access clean water, affordable education, and basic healthcare, our legislators recently approved a staggering 500% salary increase for top parliamentary officials,” Mehmood writes, describing the situation as a “deeply troubling paradox.”
The letter strikes at the heart of a national debate on fiscal priorities. With Pakistan’s literacy rate languishing at 63%, child mortality figures remaining alarmingly high, and public hospitals critically under-resourced, the writer questions how the government can justify rewarding itself so handsomely.
“This is not merely a question of numbers. It is a question of priorities and moral responsibility,” she states, warning that such decisions “drain the national treasury” and further “erode public trust in democratic institutions.”
Mehmood draws a stark contrast between budget allocations, noting that defense expenditures and elite infrastructure projects continue to consume the lion’s share of national funds. Meanwhile, she points out that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) —a critical safety net for millions of women living in extreme poverty—remains severely underfunded.
“How can a government that cannot provide basic services to its citizens justify such lavish self-reward?” she asks.
In her letter, Mehmood urges the government to immediately review the salary hike and redirect those resources toward public welfare. She also calls on civil society, the media, and opposition parties to hold the legislature accountable, insisting that “transparency in budget allocations is not optional; it is a democratic obligation.”
“Accountability must begin at the top,” she concludes. “A leadership that genuinely serves the people should live modestly and legislate generously for those in need, not the other way around. Pakistan’s future depends on leaders who prioritize citizens over comfort.”
