Prime Minister Park and Cabinet Ministers give up salaries due to economic crisis

Shehbaz Sharif announced similar measures in February 2023 during his early years as prime minister. (document)

Islamabad:

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his cabinet on Wednesday unanimously decided to waive salaries and related benefits due to the country’s unstable economic situation.

According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting and is part of the government’s austerity policy aimed at curbing unnecessary spending.

The Cabinet has introduced measures to restrict government-funded travel abroad, ordering federal ministers, MPs and government officials not to use government funds to travel abroad without prior approval.

The measures focus on strengthening fiscal responsibility and optimizing government resources in the face of economic challenges, for which the country requires new loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Last week, President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also decided to waive their salaries while in office for similar reasons.

Former President Arif Alvi received Rs 8,46,550 per month, which was fixed by the Parliament in 2018. Asif Ali Zardari is one of Pakistan’s richest politicians.

Shehbaz Sharif announced similar measures in February 2023 during his early years as prime minister.

However, these measures are often considered cosmetic, to show that the government is sharing the burden of a people hit hard by severe inflation.

The reality is that the president, prime minister and most ministers belong to the privileged, wealthy class and are not dependent on a salary.

Incidentally, earlier in the day, the IMF issued a statement saying that it had reached a staff-level agreement with cash-strapped Pakistan that would enable Pakistan to access the next tranche of $1.1 billion in previously approved loans. .

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)