THIS is apropos the news report ‘Increase in salaries of government employees in the doldrums’ (Dec 1).

I would like to clarify the figures given in that news item in order to set the record straight. The figures are exaggerated and are far from ground realities. It was stated that one per cent increase in salaries meant Rs35 billion additional impact for the federal government and Rs70 billion for Punjab. Further, it was stated that it would cost an additional Rs70 billion to all the other three provinces.

If these figures are taken and calculations made, then it comes to an annual salary budget of Rs3,500 billion for the federal government and an annual salary budget of Rs7,000 billion for the Punjab government.

Similarly, it comes to some Rs7,000 billion annual salary budget for all the other three provinces. Actual figures are much less than the stated figures in that particular news item. For example, the total budget, including salaries, of the federal government was almost Rs3,400 billion. So how can the federal government have an annual budget for salary component of Rs3,500 billion only?

M. IRFANULLAH MEHSUD D. I. Khan