Govt to be empowered to grant perks to lawmakers: Zahid Hamid

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid on Thursday informed the National Assembly (NA) that the government had presented an amendment to the law for restoration of powers of the federal government to provide additional privileges to incumbent lawmakers.
Speaking on a point of order, Hamid said the government’s amendment was aimed at reviving the 2010 law for grant of privileges to lawmakers.
“We are going back to the 2010 law and the government, rather than finance committees of National Assembly and Senate, would have the right to grant privileges to lawmakers,” he added.
Earlier, former NA speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza said media was wrongly portraying that she, as speaker of NA, had availed perks and privileges.
“This house has the authority to grant privileges to any of its members. Let me clarify that no perks and privileges were given to former speakers. I, as speaker, saved millions in government funds under my austerity campaign,” she said.
She further said no lifetime perks had been awarded to former speakers and only a vehicle and a secretary of Grade-17 had been approved for former speakers if they visited the federal capital.
“This is not about individuals but about the institution. No medical facilities have been allowed to any former speaker,” she added.
Rejecting media reports as misleading, Mirza said perks to lawmakers were the lowest in Pakistan in the region. “Even Afghanistan gives more perks to its lawmakers,” she said, adding that she was one of the highest taxpayers in NA.