Tag: inflation in pakistan

  • President Alvi ko chahiye mazeed salary

    President Alvi ko chahiye mazeed salary

    President Dr Arif Alvi is seeking an increase in his salary. Official documents show that the president has asked for two raises, first with effect from July 1, 2021 and second with effect from July 1, 2023, as per Geo News.

    Currently, the president draws a monthly salary of Rs 846,550 and wants a two-step raise to Rs 1,024,325 and Rs 1,229,190 per month with effect from July 2021 and July 2023 respectively.

    In a letter written to the Secretary Cabinet through his Military Secretary earlier this month, the President’s Secretariat has desired amendment in the Fourth Schedule of President’s Salary Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act, 2018 to allow the president’s salary, a) Rs 1,024,325 per month with effect from July 1, 2021, and b) Rs 1,229,190 per month with effect from July 1, 2023.

    The letter stated, “In Pursuance of para 3(2) of President’s Salary, Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act 2018, published in the Gazette Notification (Part I), the remuneration of the President shall be a symbolic one rupee higher than the salary of any holder of Public Office in relation to affairs of the Federation. Accordingly, pay of the honorable President was fixed at Rs 846,550/- per month in 2018 as reflected in the Fourth Schedule of the Act ibid.”

    The letter further pointed out that the salary of the Chief Justice of Pakistan being a holder of Public Office was increased twice in the last 2 years through Presidential Orders. Pay of Chief Justice of Pakistan was fixed at Rs 1,024,324/ per month w.e.f 01 July 2021 and subsequently at Rs 1,229,189/ per month w.e.f. 01 July 2023. As per the rules, the salary of the President was not enhanced in relation to the laid down principle of one rupee higher than the salary of any holder of public office i.e. Chief Justice of Pakistan.

    On the basis of the above, the Presidency sought changes in the Fourth Schedule of President’s Salary Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act 2018 accordingly.

    The Cabinet Division referred the case to the Law Ministry, which on August 18 advised the former to process the case for a raise in Alvi’s salary.

    The Law Ministry stated, “The Federal Government by virtue of section 3(2) of the same Act has the power to amend that Schedule by way of a notification in the official gazette henceforth in relation to the issue at hand the Federal Government is competent to amend the Fourth Schedule by way of gazette notification and no amendment in the Fourth Schedule is required via an amending Act to effectuate a revision in the salary of the President.”

    The matter was also referred to the Finance Division, which on August 22 also supported the proposed increase in the salary of the president through amendment in the Fourth Schedule of the President (Salary, Allowances & Privileges) Act, 1975.

    The matter is expected to be presented before the cabinet for approval. The president, besides getting the desired increases, will also get a hefty amount as arrears as the two-step raises will be allowed with effect from July 2021 and July 2023 respectively.

  • ‘I am upset’ Maryam Nawaz worried about public’s high bijli bills, says father can save everyone

    ‘I am upset’ Maryam Nawaz worried about public’s high bijli bills, says father can save everyone

    Chief Organiser and Senior Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz Sharif has stated that just as the country was saved from the risk of default within 16 months, similarly, her party under the leadership of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, will also lessen public burden of inflation and skyrocketing electricity bills.

    “We saved Pakistan from default within 16 months, and now we will shield the people from inflation. It’s upsetting that the public has to face challenges like inflation and increased electricity charges,” she said during a meeting with leaders and officials of the party’s Punjab Women Youth Wing in Lahore.

    “If the process of development had not been halted, there would not have been any tears in the eyes of the common man today. The issues of today have emanated from the four-year era of project Imran,” she added in reference to arch-rival Imran Khan who was deposed through a Vote of No Confidence in April 2022.

    Maryam stated that only an elected government will be capable of curbing the demon of inflation and of initiating a period of progress and contentment.

    “InshaAllah, just as we eradicated load-shedding, terrorism, and lawlessness in Karachi, we can also control inflation. Nawaz Sharif is the guarantee of Pakistan’s progress, and he alone can liberate us from all these issues,” she said.

    She also reviewed the performance of the women youth wing and said that she feels pride in seeing the active participation of many women in political activities.

    Maryam said that it is her desire that more party tickets should be given to the youth in the next election because the youth have the ability to make Pakistan a strong country.

    She claimed that female students like the PMLN leadership because of their performance, claiming that her party had become the largest youth and women’s party in the country.

    “PMLN leadership has always empowered the youth, they were provided with laptops and interest-free loans for decent employment,” she said.

  • ‘More mouths to feed than we can cope with’: Street Kitchen ‘Khana Ghar’ feeds millions of Pakistanis amid inflation

    Due the ongoing inflation crisis in Pakistan, food and petrol prices have risen astronomically, leading to many families finding it difficult to afford basic necessities like rice or flour. Writing for The Guardian, Zofeen T Ebrahim has covered the story of the street kitchen ‘Khana Ghar’ set up in Karachi’s poorest district by Parveen Saeed, who has been serving food to families for the past 22 years.

    Opening up to The Guardian, Saeed said that the kitchen has become even more busy since Ramzan began, as more families have arrived to receive one-month food rations:

    “But we can only give one bag to one family, and we need their ID cards to check that,” she said. “There are more and more mouths to feed than we can cope with.”

    Saeed, who had received the Pride of Performance award in 2021, sells salan and roti to families for only Rs 3. Before the Covid-19 lockdown, the kitchen provided meals for 6,000 people, but afterwards it rose to 7000, and now currently stands at 8,200.

    Saeed revealed that people stand in line for long hours in order to eat, because the ongoing political and economic instability has made it difficult for people to make a living:

    “These people are not beggars, they have become destitute..where are the jobs?”

    “Food prices have hit the sky. It is heartbreaking as they have waited for a couple of hours, only to leave empty-handed.”

    The newspaper also spoke to some of the regulars who visit Khana Ghar. Former construction worker Mohammad Shakeel, a father of six, suffered a head injury and broken wrists after which finding work became incredibly hard. He said the food was a ‘Godsend’ because “with a kilo of flour costing 150 rupees, we would not be able to survive the jump in food prices.”

    A widow who has been relying on Khana Ghar to feed her polio ridden daughter and toddler grandson said, “Had it not been for Parveen, we would have died from hunger.”

  • ‘Our patience won’t last long’: Imran Khan wants early elections

    ‘Our patience won’t last long’: Imran Khan wants early elections

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in an address to the nation has once again demanded early elections, warning that PTI’s patience was wearing thin.

    “If we want to save the country from discord and chaos, free and fair elections need to be announced immediately,” he said.

    “Our patience won’t last long if you continue like this, we will have to give a call to the nation,” said Khan, addressing the government.

    “If there is no political stability, the economy won’t stabilise. So I want to tell my people today that we need to have elections quickly to save Pakistan from this quagmire,” the former Prime Minister insisted, adding that it was his fear that there will be no economic progress without political stability.

    “The incumbent government does not have any credibility, both inside and outside Pakistan, especially in the financial markets,” alleged Khan, mentioning that the prices of fuel and electricity across Pakistan had reached an all-time high and warned that they would further increase in the near future.

    Unemployment is increasing, inflation is rising, and businesses are closing down, Imran said. “The danger I am seeing right now […] Our credit rating has fallen to negative […] do you know what this means? They think Pakistan doesn’t have the ability to repay and due to this, the cost of loans will increase,”‘ he warned.

  • ‘Pakistan’s international debt should be immediately cancelled’: British MP

    ‘Pakistan’s international debt should be immediately cancelled’: British MP

    United Kingdom (UK) Member of Parliament (MP) Claudia Webbe has called on the international community to cancel Pakistan’s debt as the country’s inflation hits the highest level since 1973.

    In a statement on Twitter, Webbe said, “Inflation in Pakistan is at an all-time high at 27 per cent! Pakistan’s international debt should be immediately cancelled – they should instead be given reparations for the climate crisis caused.”

    According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Pakistan’s Consumer Price Index-based inflation (CPI) climbed by 27.3 per cent on a year-over-year basis in August 2022.

    Prior to this statement, she repeatedly urged foreign countries to stand shoulder to shoulder in full solidarity with Pakistan and termed the silence from western countries a “moral crime”.

    “We need a global climate tax so that the global rich can be made to pay for the climate damage they cause in the world,” she said.

    She also blamed rich countries for the climate crisis and said that they should bear the cost, not Pakistan, as the country is responsible for 1 per cent of global emissions.

    On her official Twitter account, she also shared videos of the devasting floods in Pakistan.

    Water levels continued to rise on Friday as the overall death toll from the devastating floods has crossed 1,200.

    On Thursday, the UK announced an additional £15 million of lifesaving support for flood victims in Pakistan.

    More than 33 million people are affected — one in every seven Pakistanis — and reconstruction work will cost more than $10 billion.

    United Nations (UN) chief Antonio Guterres called the floods a “climate catastrophe” and launched an appeal for $160 million in emergency funding. Meanwhile, western countries have also donated millions of dollars to Pakistan.