The Standing Committee of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has presented recommendations to the House, stating that the salaries, privileges, and allowances of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are low compared to the current economic situation and should be increased.

The committee has proposed that an amendment bill regarding the salaries, privileges, and allowances of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker will soon be presented in the Assembly, after which an increase may be approved.

On the other hand, the opposition has strongly objected to these proposals, terming them unfair to the public.

Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Ijaz Khan Daurazai said that the salaries of public representatives, including the Speaker, are already more than adequate. He stated, “What are we doing here that salaries and privileges are being increased, while development work in constituencies has stalled due to lack of funds?”

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According to documents available with TNN, the Speaker currently receives a monthly salary of Rs. 150,000, while the Deputy Speaker gets Rs. 145,000. The Speaker also receives Rs. 20,000 per month as a sumptuary allowance and Rs. 18,000 as a medical allowance.

The Deputy Speaker receives Rs. 10,000 per month as a sumptuary allowance. If official residence is not provided, the Speaker is given Rs. 70,000 and the Deputy Speaker Rs. 55,000 per month as house rent.

Under the law, both are also entitled to official residences, while up to Rs. 100,000 is allocated for furnishing. During air travel, the Speaker is entitled to business class and the Deputy Speaker to first class, and both may be accompanied by one staff member.

Daily allowances during official visits are also fixed: Rs. 2,000 for the Speaker and Rs. 750 for the Deputy Speaker. In addition, telephone and mobile phone facilities are provided for both their offices and residences.

According to the report, in case of an air accident, the heirs of the Speaker or Deputy Speaker are entitled to Rs. 500,000 compensation.

The committee’s recommendations also suggest that the authority to approve discretionary and other funds should be given to the Finance Committee, which can adjust these allowances as needed.

Further recommendations state that VIP protocol will be provided during official domestic visits within Pakistan, while during foreign visits the Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be allowed to take two private staff members instead of one.

Government MPA Abdul Salam Afridi stated that salaries and privileges of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker have not been increased since 2014; however, he added that these benefits have already been increased in other provincial assemblies of the country.