Lawmakers call for salary hikes, structural reforms & relief measures

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jun, 2026) Lawmakers in the National Assembly on Saturday called for salary increases, alongside broader demands for economic stability, structural reforms, and stronger relief measures for the public.

While members acknowledged certain fiscal adjustments in the Federal budget, they also raised concerns regarding agriculture, inflation, salaries, provincial resource distribution, and long-term economic planning.

Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP-P) MNA Samina Khalid Ghurki said the party has consistently supported the state during national crises and has always prioritised stability and unity. Referring to remarks made by Mahmood Achakzai, she appreciated the mention of PPP’s leadership, including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, noting their contributions to national cohesion.

However, she said the budget could not be termed fully people-friendly, particularly highlighting concerns over agricultural allocations. She questioned the adequacy of the announced Rs 750,000 support for farmers, warning that the agriculture sector — the backbone of the economy — was being increasingly marginalised. She also raised concerns over wheat pricing policies, saying they had left farmers economically vulnerable and uncertain.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Naima Kishwar said the traditional annual budget framework has evolved, with fiscal pressures and economic decisions now emerging more frequently. She cited rising poverty, unemployment, and inflation, questioning official poverty benchmarks and noting that utility bills, such as electricity and gas, were consuming a large share of low-income earnings.

She said the proposed 7 per cent salary increase for government employees was insufficient in the face of inflation. While pointing out cash-transfer programmes for potentially creating dependency, she stressed the need for skills development, training, and employment generation — particularly for women — to ensure long-term economic empowerment.

She acknowledged some positive measures in the budget, including interest-free loans and tax relief on women’s health-related expenses, but said these must be supported by structured empowerment initiatives. On provincial matters, she pointed to reduced development allocations, delays in promised transfers, and the overdue revision of the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, arguing that provinces such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were not receiving their fair share. She also raised concerns over rising prices of agricultural inputs, including fertilisers and pesticides.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr Farooq Sattar said Pakistan stood at a critical juncture where the right policy direction could place the country on a path toward self-reliant and sustainable growth. While acknowledging measures such as the abolition of the 7E tax, regulatory simplification, and tax relief adjustments, he said the budget fell short of public expectations and lacked a truly people-centred approach.

He said Pakistan’s growth remained constrained at 2.5 to 3 per cent due to structural weaknesses and stressed the need to raise it to at least 5 per cent through comprehensive reforms.

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He called for reforms in the NFC framework, a broader tax base, and decentralised development with equitable investment across all districts.

He highlighted regional disparities, noting that major urban centres such as Karachi continue to face infrastructure challenges and inadequate development funding despite their economic contribution. He also pointed to underdevelopment in South Punjab, Saraiki regions, Hazara Division, and other marginalised areas, calling for inclusive planning across all regions, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Emphasising cities as economic engines, he said urban centres, including Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Quetta, and Peshawar, must receive proportional investment. He further called for stronger local government systems, warning that excessive centralisation weakens service delivery and governance.

He urged structural reforms to shift Pakistan from short-term adjustments to long-term stability and investor confidence, and suggested increasing salaries by 30 per cent and raising the minimum wage to Rs 50,000 to provide meaningful relief.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Major (retd) Tahir Iqbal said the proposed 7 per cent salary increase was insufficient and urged it be raised to at least 15 per cent. He said salaried individuals and pensioners were struggling with inflation and needed greater relief.

He also called for reduced property taxes to stimulate construction activity, boost demand for cement and steel, and generate broader economic growth. He stressed greater support for small industries and businesses to strengthen grassroots development.

He suggested that cash-transfer systems should instead help people establish small business units for long-term self-reliance. He also raised concerns over delayed infrastructure projects and demanded accountability for incomplete works and alleged mismanagement.

Senior political leader Ali Muhammad Khan pointed out the budget process, questioning its legitimacy and representation.

He stressed the need to strengthen democratic values and ensure governance reflects public aspirations rather than political arrangements. He also called for reforms aligned with justice and public welfare, warning that failure to do so could deepen public frustration.

PPP’s Syeda Shehla Raza raised concerns over FBR performance, claiming inefficiencies in broadening the tax base and reliance on increasing tax rates instead.

She suggested decentralising revenue collection to provinces and raised concerns over underperformance in key economic indicators, including agriculture, manufacturing, services, and energy. She also pointed to rising inflation, unemployment, public debt, and circular debt, warning of growing economic pressures.

Rana Atif pointed out the government’s fiscal performance, questioning economic claims and the use of borrowed funds. He said rising debt had not translated into visible development outcomes, while industrial decline and unemployment.

He added that reliance on remittances reflected structural weaknesses, arguing that stronger economies depend on domestic production and exports rather than overseas earnings.

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