Fact-check: Is the pay of an MNA lower than a federal secretary’s?

Khawaja Asif, the minister for defence, has alleged on several occasions that the monthly pay of a lawmaker was less than that of a federal secretary, therefore a senior bureaucrat, in Pakistan.

The claim is true.

Claim

“There has been a false impression created about us, politicians,” Asif said on June 25, addressing the National Assembly, “Our salary, members of the National Assembly (MNAs), is less than that of the federal secretary. It [an MNA’s pay] is only Rs168,000.”

His speech has been viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube and shared by several Twitter accounts as well.

Fact

The salary scale of a parliamentarian is indeed less than that of a federal secretary, confirms the office of the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), the state organisation responsible for accounting and reporting all federal transactions.

“He is right,” said a senior official of the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues, who did not want to be named, “The estimated gross monthly pay of a federal secretary is around Rs450,000 to Rs490,000 or more [before tax], depending on the years they spent in government service.”

While the gross monthly salary of an MNA was around Rs220,000 before tax, he added.

The Accountant General Pakistan Revenues then shared an official document with Geo Fact Check, which listed the pay scales and perks of judges of the Supreme Court, the president, bureaucrats, ministers and lawmakers.

According to the document, the gross monthly salary of an MNA is Rs213,000. While the perks he or she enjoys include accommodation in the federal lodges, free telephone, travel vouchers of Rs300,000 per annum or cash allowance of Rs90,000 and 25 business class return air tickets per annum.

Separately, the gross monthly salary of a federal secretary posted in the federal secretariat of Grade 22 is Rs591,475, which includes Rs95,910 for transport and Rs17,500 orderly allowance per month, as per the document. The official also shared a salary slip of a federal secretary with Geo Fact Check, which further confirmed the above amount.

While a federal secretary posted in the president’s secretariat or the Prime Minister Office takes home monthly earnings of Rs663,265. This amount is inclusive of perks.

The document also states that the gross monthly pay of a federal minister is Rs338,125, which includes Rs103,125 house rent, Rs29,000 utilities, Rs3,000 for domestic travel and an additional 1800 cc car and 600 litres petrol.

The salary scale of the prime minister of Pakistan was the lowest in the list, lower than that of the president, judges, federal ministers, MNAs, and federal secretaries.

The prime minister of the country only takes home a pay cheque of Rs201,574. The document further states that the current prime minister is not drawing a salary.

With additional reporting by Nadia Khalid

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