KARACHI: Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari on Saturday asked the Sindh government to shelve plans for proposed increase in the salaries of legislators citing “unstable conditions” of the country, a senior member of the provincial cabinet said.

He said the message from the party’s top leadership had been conveyed to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who “cancelled” the proposed plans. “He [Mr Zardari] has reacted strongly to such a proposal and directed the Sindh government not to make any such move as the country’s economy is not doing good. After his directives, the proposal has been withdrawn and there is no plan for an increase in the salaries of the Sindh Assembly members,” Sindh Information Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah told Dawn.

Sources privy to the development said the proposal was made to increase the salary of a lawmaker from Rs24,000 to Rs50,000. Another Rs15,000 was proposed in the form of a utility bills subsidy.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2017