Latest news with #Rs1.3
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Two arrested on charge of stealing 3 motorcycles in Nashik
Nashik: Nashik police have arrested two individuals and recovered three stolen motorcycles along with a cellphone, collectively valued at Rs1.3 lakh. The arrests were made on Saturday, as part of an ongoing effort to curb vehicle thefts. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The accused have been identified as Rahul Prakash Kurhade (25) of Rahata in Ahilyanagar and Lakhan Shinde (24) of Phulenagar in Panchavati. Acting on guidance from commissioner of police Sandeep Karnik to prioritize motor vehicle theft cases, the detection branch of the Indiranagar police station launched an investigation. On Friday, the police received information that two individuals were planning to sell a stolen bike in the Pandavleni area. Soon a trap was laid and the accused duo got detained. During interrogation, the duo confessed to the theft of three motorcycles. One of the recovered motorcycles was stolen from the Indiranagar police station area, while another was taken from Kopargaon taluka. Police are currently investigating the origin of the third stolen motorcycle.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
‘Fiscal obscenity'
EDITORIAL: At a time when millions are bracing for yet another round of inflation and fiscal tightening, the decision to multiply the salaries and perks of Pakistan's top lawmakers reads like a grotesque miscalculation. The increase — reportedly raising the monthly salary of the Senate chairperson and National Assembly speaker to Rs1.3 million, plus a Rs 650,000 sumptuary allowance — goes well beyond tone-deaf. It signals a fundamental detachment from the economic reality faced by the majority of people of this country. That Khawaja Asif, a senior minister from the ruling coalition itself, felt compelled to call the move 'financial obscenity' is telling. It suggests not just internal discomfort but a recognition — at least from some quarters — that the government has overstepped. Lawmakers are not salaried staff in the conventional sense. They are elected representatives, often already among the wealthiest segment of society in this Islamic Republic, who are expected to legislate and govern in the public interest — not negotiate the kinds of benefits that would shame most private executives. In any other context, the justification might have been couched in inflationary trends or revised compensation frameworks. But coming in the same week as a federal budget that made no provision for raising the minimum wage — and offered precious little in the way of substantive relief for working-class households — the decision smacks of institutional insensitivity. Worse, it exposes a political elite that appears to have insulated itself from the sacrifices it routinely demands of others. This isn't just about numbers. It's about optics, timing, and public trust. The image of parliamentarians quietly approving windfalls for themselves, even as families across the country tighten household budgets and slash essentials, is corrosive. It undermines whatever credibility remains in a system already seen as serving the few at the expense of the many. The public outcry was immediate, and justified. Social media users pointed to the contrast between this indulgence and the stagnant wages of ordinary workers. Labourers, clerks, and even low-grade civil servants have yet to see meaningful wage adjustments in years, despite surging prices and falling rupee parity. Fuel, power, education, rent — everything costs more. But somehow, only parliament has been spared the argument that there simply isn't room in the budget. And it bears repeating: these positions already come loaded with benefits — taxpayer-funded residences, staff, travel allowances, security details, discretionary grants, and access to institutional power. The base salary is hardly the full picture. That makes the case for further upward revision not only weak, but indefensible. Khawaja Asif may well be accused of political posturing, but his criticism cuts to the core of a broader structural rot. When politics is reduced to privilege, and when parliament resembles an exclusive club rather than a public institution, resentment festers. And, in a country already suffering from democratic fatigue, that resentment has consequences — political, social, and economic. If the government is serious about fiscal discipline, social justice, and institutional reform, it must reverse this decision. Not scale it back; reverse it entirely because this isn't a budgeting error. It's a moral failure. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
15-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
A raise too far
Listen to article At a time when the majority of Pakistanis are tightening their belts in the face of relentless inflation and shrinking incomes, news of the astronomical hike in salaries and allowances for top government officeholders has rightly provoked public outrage. That the monthly remuneration of the National Assembly Speaker and Senate Chairman has jumped from Rs205,000 to a staggering Rs1.3 million — with total benefits exceeding Rs2 million — is not just tone-deaf but also a betrayal of public trust. What makes this even more egregious is the timing. Only weeks ago, the federal budget offered a paltry 7% increase to government employees, many of whom already struggle to make ends meet. Meanwhile, there has been no meaningful movement on increasing the minimum wage, which remains grossly insufficient to support a family in today's economic climate. Adding insult to injury is the fact that this is not the first instance of unjustified self-enrichment. Members of the National Assembly and superior judiciary have already benefitted from earlier hikes, further fuelling the perception that the public office increasingly serves the personal interests of the elite. It is perhaps in recognition of this backlash that a key federal minister has now hinted at reviewing, or even withdrawing, the salary increase. But this backpedaling, while welcome, raises an uncomfortable question: how was such an insensitive proposal approved in the first place? Where is the accountability within the system that allows such decisions to pass through unnoticed — until the public reacts? The government must do more than merely reverse this raise. It must restore credibility by committing to a transparent and needs-based salary structure for all public servants. Any increases must be benchmarked against national economic indicators and the financial hardships faced by the average citizen.
Express Tribune
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Labour bodies slam 'anti-worker budget'
Labour leaders and worker organisations have submitted a charter of demands to the Director Labour (East and West), calling on the Punjab government to set the minimum wage at Rs70,000 per month and to implement a 100% wage increase for power loom workers. The demand was led by Chairman of the Pakistan Labour Qaumi Movement and President of the Haqooq-e-Khalq Party Punjab Baba Latif Ansari, who criticised the federal budget as a "pro-capitalist, IMF-driven" document that neglects the working class. The delegation included leaders and representatives from the powerloom, hosiery and garment sectors. Speaking at the gathering, Ansari said, "This budget has been drafted under IMF diktats. It benefits both domestic and foreign capitalist interests while worsening inflation, inequality, and unemployment for working people." He slammed the government's move to reduce the super tax on corporations, increase defence spending by 16%, and allocate the largest share of the budget to debt servicing — while offering only a 10% raise to government workers, including grade-1 labourers and grade-22 officers alike. He also criticised the meagre 7% pension increase, which he argued is entirely inadequate in the face of rising inflation. "Meanwhile, parliamentarians enjoy massive pay hikes — Senate and National Assembly heads saw their salaries skyrocket from Rs200,000 to Rs1.3 million — while workers are thrown crumbs." The charter of demands also criticised the lack of taxation on the agricultural elite and the promotion of corporate farming, warning that the latter would give rise to a new class of feudal lords. "This is an anti-worker, anti-farmer, and anti-people budget," said Ansari. "We reject it completely and demand that the government prioritise the real backbone of the economy: the workers." Shabbir Kalyyar, Director Labour (West), said that determining minimum wages for workers in industrial and commercial establishments falls under the mandate of the Punjab Minimum Wages Board. He added that the board comprises representatives of both employers and workers, ensuring all stakeholder perspectives are considered. "We have received charters of demands from various labour unions across multiple sectors," he said. "These will be forwarded to the higher offices of the Punjab government, which holds the final authority to approve any increase." Sheikh Nisar Ahmad, President of the Powerlooms Sector in Sadhar, expressed concern that out of approximately 5,700 workers employed in 300 powerloom factories in the Sadhar Industrial Estate, none are formally registered with the Social Security Department. He alleged that factory owners deposit contributions for only a few workers, and social security cards are not being issued.
Business Recorder
11-06-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Minimum wage to remain unchanged at Rs37,000 in FY26, says Aurangzeb
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on Wednesday said the government hadn't increased the minimum wage in the budget for the financial year 2025-26 and it would remain at Rs37,000 per month. The finance minister didn't mention about the minimum wage in his budget speech on Tuesday, as he announced Pakistan's federal budget 2025-26 'for a competitive economy' on Tuesday, targeting a modest 4.2% growth for the coming fiscal year, compared to 2.7% expected in the outgoing FY25. The budget was announced with a total outlay of Rs17.6 trillion, down 7% or Rs1.3 trillion as compared to the Rs18.9 trillion budgeted outlay of FY25. Key highlights of Pakistan budget for 2025-26 Last year, the government increased the minimum per month wage to Rs37,000 from previously Rs32,000. However, the government has kept it unchanged this year. This comes despite a demand from a key ally of Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) led government, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to increase the minimum wage to Rs50,000.
