The cost of maintaining the MPs

Is it worth it?

The Parliamentarians on Thursday proposed an exponential increase in their salaries, allowances, and perks.  If the measure is passed this would overnight raise an MP’s salary from the present PKR 35,000 to PKR 200,000, increase his transport allowance from PKR 7,000 to PKR 50,000 and office maintenance allowance from PKR 7,000 to PKR 100,000. New allowances proposed include constituency allowance (PKR 70,000) and utility allowance (PKR 50,000)

It would be interesting to compare what Indian MPs get with what their Pakistani counterparts demand. While Pakistani legislators demand a total package of PKR 470,000 per month an Indian MP gets a total fixed amount of PKR 140,000 per month.  An Indian MP also gets a fixed yearly medical alliance of PKR 40,000 while in the case of a Pakistani MP it has no maximum limit.  What is the justification for the rise in pay and perks when Pakistan’s economy is in a bad shape compared to India.

Few would claim that the MPs in Pakistan perform better than Indian MPs. The members of the National Assembly are known for frequently dodging the sittings causing lack of quorum and postponement of proceedings.  Among other factors this too is responsible for the paucity of legislation and a reliance on Ordinances. There is a need for a cost-benefit analysis before a move is made for the enhancement of pay and allowances at this scale. In case the beleaguered PML-N government was to yield to the demand it would bring good name neither to itself nor the House that passes it. Hours before it would seize to be in March 2013, the Sindh Assembly had passed a similar bill providing fantastic salary rises to its members with retrospective effect and lifetime perks for the ministers. The next day the Supreme Court had suspended the notification. There is a need to rationalise the MPs demands. PML-N government must do nothing that provides opportunity to other institutions to intervene.