ISLAMABAD: Despite repeated claims of the government that no cabinet members was taking salaries and working on honorary bases, their salaries have been increased by more than 100 per cent.

Salaries of federal and state ministers were increased when President Asif Ali Zardari promulgated four ordinances on Friday — one of them to increase the salaries of cabinet members to match those of the Members of National Assembly (MNAs).

In February, the lower house of parliament pas­sed the Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025 — after approval from the Senate — with a majority vote, increasing the salaries of lawmakers.

The National Asse­mbly’s Finance Comm­ittee, headed by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, appr­o­ved the proposed incre­ase in the monthly salary of each MNA and senator to Rs519,000.

Previously, lawm­a­kers received a mon­t­hly salary of Rs180,000.

“The federal ministers and ministers of state shall receive a monthly salary equivalent to the salary of a member of the National Assembly,” read the ordinance signed by the president.

The changes were made to the Federal Mini­sters and Ministers of State (Salaries, Allowa­nces and Privileges) Act, 1975.

The ministers’ salaries will now be Rs519,000 per month, equivalent to MNAs.

Federal ministers were receiving a salary of Rs200,000 per month and state ministers Rs180,000 per month, before the hike was approved.

Another ordinance titled the Tax Laws (Amen­dment) Ordinance, 2025 was also promulgated to recover pending tax amounts tied up in court cases.

The president also promulgated the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 to reform land ownership in the federal capital.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2025