Former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani criticized the formation of an eight-member committee tasked with revising or granting new allowances to government employees, calling it a case of “double standards” on the part of the finance minister.
Despite a revenue shortfall, the government has moved forward with plans to offer attractive allowances and a salary increase of up to 25 percent for employees, effective July 1, 2024. A previous report by Dawn revealed that the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Finance had been receiving requests from various groups for additional compensation, particularly after recent salary hikes for judges.
In response, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a special committee, led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, to review and propose new allowances for government servants. The committee includes several members who stand to directly benefit from these decisions, such as secretaries for finance, defense, and interior, as well as ministers with ties to senior officers.
Rabbani argued that the committee’s composition violated the principle of impartiality, as it includes those who are the direct beneficiaries of the proposed changes. He also accused the finance minister of double standards, referencing previous comments about revisiting the NFC Award. Rabbani claimed the federal government aims to reduce provincial shares in the NFC to maintain the lavish lifestyle of its bureaucracy, warning that provinces would not allow any violation of the 1973 Constitution.
