July 25, 2006	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 28, 1427

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LAHORE, July 24: As many as 126 ruling party MPAs in Punjab are associated with one gainful office or the other drawing fabulous salaries and other fringe benefits which have recently been increased through an enactment by the legislature.

They include the speaker, the deputy-speaker, 39 provincial ministers, 26 advisers to the Punjab government or the chief minister, besides 59 parliamentary secretaries. In addition to this, four special assistants have also been working for the assistance of the chief minister.

This information is contained in lists submitted in the Lahore High Court by additional advocate-general Mohammad Haneef Khatana in a writ petition through which the appointment of certain advisers was challenged. Justice Mian Hamid Farooq had called for the lists in adjudicating the petition against the appointment of Mian Mohammad Munir as an adviser on the plea that he was convicted by the Supreme Court in contempt of court.

The Punjab assembly has a total strength of 371 MPAs, of whom 105 belong to the opposition. Of the remaining 266, as many as 124 (about 48 per cent) are enjoying offices of profit. Besides, a good number of ruling party MPAs are members of some 45 standing committees of the house.

The recent law enacted by the provincial assembly raised the salary and allowances of all those associated with the offices of profit.

The Punjab Revision of Emoluments of the Public Representatives Act, 2006, revised the salary of the speaker to Rs37,000, and allowances from Rs12,000 to Rs22,000, in addition to other perks. The deputy-speaker now gets an enhanced salary of Rs35,000, besides Rs20,000 allowances. A minister is now entitled to Rs35,000 salary and Rs30,000 allowances. The chief minister’s salary is now Rs39,000.

The parliamentary secretaries are now drawing Rs20,000 each, along with an equal amount as allowances.