ISLAMABAD: President Dr. Arif Alvi has expressed the desire for an upward revision of his salary, as indicated by official documents. These documents reveal that the president has put forth two salary increase requests, the first effective from July 1, 2021, and the second from July 1, 2023.
At present, the president’s monthly salary stands at Rs846,550, and he is seeking a two-step increment to Rs1,024,325 and Rs1,229,190 per month, starting from July 2021 and July 2023, respectively.
A letter sent by the President’s Secretariat to the Secretary Cabinet, facilitated by his Military Secretary at the beginning of the current month, outlines the intention to modify the Fourth Schedule of the President’s Salary Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act, 2018. This modification would permit the president’s salary to be set at Rs 1,024,325 per month from July 1, 2021, and at Rs 1,229,190 per month from July 1, 2023.
The letter elucidates, “In accordance with para 3(2) of the President’s Salary, Allowances, and Privileges (Amendment) Act 2018, published in the Gazette Notification (Part I), the remuneration of the President shall be one rupee higher than the salary of any holder of Public Office in relation to affairs of the Federation. As a result, the honorable President’s pay was established at Rs. 846,550 per month in 2018, as indicated in the Fourth Schedule of the aforementioned Act.”
The communication from the Presidency underscores, “It is worth noting that the salary of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, being a holder of Public Office, was increased twice in the past 2 years through Presidential Orders. The pay of the Chief Justice of Pakistan was set at Rs 1,024,324 per month starting from July 1, 2021, and subsequently at Rs 1,229,189 per month starting from July 1, 2023. However, the salary of the President was not adjusted accordingly in alignment with the principle of being one rupee higher than the salary of any holder of public office, such as the Chief Justice of Pakistan.”
Based on the above observations, the Presidency has requested an amendment to the Fourth Schedule of the President’s Salary Allowances and Privileges (Amendment) Act 2018.
After this request was forwarded to the Law Ministry by the Cabinet Division, the Law Ministry, on August 18, recommended proceeding with the case for a salary increase for President Alvi. The Law Ministry clarified, “The Federal Government, by virtue of Section 3(2) of the same Act, has the authority to modify that Schedule through a notification in the official gazette. Therefore, in this context, the Federal Government is authorized to amend the Fourth Schedule through a gazette notification, and no amendment in the Fourth Schedule through an amending Act is necessary to effectuate a revision in the President’s salary.”
Similarly, the Finance Division also backed the proposed salary increase for the president through an amendment in the Fourth Schedule of the President (Salary, Allowances, & Privileges) Act, 1975, as of August 22.
This matter is anticipated to be presented before the cabinet for approval. In addition to receiving the intended salary increments, the president will also be entitled to a substantial amount in arrears, as the two-step raises will be retroactively implemented in July 2021 and July 2023, respectively.
