Fact-check: How much will the new MNAs get paid?
Each MNA in the lower house is eligible to earn over Rs188,000 per month, which includes a basic salary and perks
Updated Tuesday Mar 12 2024
A long block of text is circulating on Facebook which alleges that the monthly pay of each newly-elected member of the National Assembly (MNA) will be around Rs 188,000, prompting many on social media to question whether the claim was accurate
The claim is true.
Claim
“What will be the salaries and privileges of the newly elected members of the national assembly?” wrote a user on Facebook, on February 28.
The post then went on to provide a breakdown of the monthly salary and allowances of each MNA after taking oath.
“An MNA receives Rs150,000 basic salary, additional allowances of Rs38,000, which includes an allowance for telephone, an office allowance of Rs8,000, an ad-hoc relief of Rs15,000 and an additional allowance of Rs5,000,” the post read.
The Facebook post has been shared 16 times and liked over 40 times, to date.
Similar claims also circulated on WhatsApp, where social media users inquired about the authenticity of the amount.
Fact
Each MNA in the lower house is eligible to earn over Rs188,000 per month, which includes a basic salary and perks, confirms the national assembly.
An official at the cash and accounts branch of the national assembly, who asked not to be named, explained that the breakdown of each parliamentarian’s remuneration was provided in The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act 1974, an updated version of which was publicly available on the website of the national assembly.
The Act was last amended in July 2021.
| Per month | |
| Basic Pay | Rs150,000 |
| Sumptuary Allowance | Rs5,000 |
| Telephone Allowance | Rs10,000 |
| Office Maintenance Allowance | Rs8,000 |
| Ad-hoc Relief Allowance 2017@10% | Rs15,000 |
| Total | Rs188,000 |
And that is not all. Each MNA is allotted additional allowances as well, such as for traveling and medical for when needed.
The travelling and daily allowance for attending each session of the national assembly is as below:
- Daily allowance (special) Rs4,800 per day
- Daily allowance (ordinary) Rs2,800 per day
- Conveyance allowance Rs2,000 per day
- Housing allowance Rs2,000 per day
The amount is disbursed for three days before the session and three days after it.
If an MNA is traveling, an additional amount is provided as per the mode of transport:
- By air business class — Rs150 per kilometer
- By road — Rs10 per kilometer
- By rail — An amount equal to one air-conditioned class fare and one [second] class fare
The government also provides each MNA with “free travel” vouchers, which the legislator can avail using any Pakistani airline or the Pakistan railways:
- Travel vouchers of Rs300,000 or cash allowance of Rs90,000 per annum
- Twenty-five business class return air tickets per annum
Furthermore, the state offers each MNA to have a telephone installed for free at their residence.
Lastly, each parliamentarian is reimbursed for her or his medical expenses.
With additional reporting by Fayyaz Hussain.
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