Senate blunders as it enacts self-serving bills

ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday last passed three private members bills regarding salaries and allowances of its members, deputy chairman and chairman by giving the impression that there is no financial implication involved.

However, the comparison of the present laws with these bills show huge financial implications as different allowances and perks have been smartly enhanced without making them part of the budget proposals. Sources said what the Senate did, should have been part of the money bill and is, therefore, invalid. It is said that these bills will now be presented before the National Assembly. On Monday, The News report on the issue said, while quoting sources that the bills have been passed by the National Assembly, which is incorrect. The error is regretted.

Meanwhile, a comparison between the existing laws and the bills passed by the Senate belies the impression given by the movers of these private member bills that there is no financial implications involved. Even the Senate chairman assured the House on Friday that the purpose of the legislation is only to have separate laws for Senate and National Assembly representatives.

The News study shows that not only Senate chairman but deputy chairman, all senators and chairman of Senate committees will get additional benefits if the bills as passed by the Senate become an act of Parliament. Most of the additional perks are given in these bills to the Senate chairman and former chairmen.

For example, the present law allows the chairman to furnish his official residence at a cost not exceeding Rs100,000. This amount has been raised in the bill as passed by the Senate to Rs5000,000 (five million). Similarly the sumptuary allowance in the present law for the chairman is Rs6000, which in the bill has been raised to Rs50,000.

Discretionary grant of the chairman in the present law is Rs600,000, which in the bill has been increased to Rs1800,000. Daily allowance during the chairman’s official tour has been enhanced to Rs10,000 in the bill from present Rs1750. Similarly a special rate of Rs4,800 for each day of halt has been increased to Rs15,000.

In the present law, the Senate chairman is entitled to have only one official vehicle but the bill says, “The chairman and members of his family shall be entitled to the use of official vehicles maintained at government expenses.” Thus vehicles at the disposal of the chairman and his family could be two, three, four and even more.

The bill as passed by the Senate adds a new provision under which the chairman when travelling on official business outside Pakistan shall be entitled to the protocol of the deputy head of state or vice-president.

There is also another new provision in the bill, which says that the chairman while travelling abroad shall be entitled to requisition at the cost of government, if he considers it necessary in the public interest, an airplane belonging to the federal government, provincial government, armed forces of Pakistan, any flying club in Pakistan or any chartered air service provider. The chairman can also take with him one member of his family while travelling by a commercial airplane or four members of his family when travelling by a requisitioned airplane. In the present law, such a facility was available only for chairman’s travel within Pakistan.

In the present law, the chairman and his family are entitled to medical facilities admissible under special medical rules, except that he and his family are entitled to receive medical treatment at his official residence.

The bill as passed by the Senate not only entitles the chairman and his family to medical facilities in both public and private hospitals and at his official residence but also provide for all former chairmen (who served for full term of three years), their wives or widows to complete medical cover in public and private hospitals or at their residence.

There is a new provision in the bill which not only allows the chairman to have such a number of personal staff as may be prescribed by (his handpicked) Finance Committee but it also authorises the Finance Committee to provide personal staff up to 12 in number to the person who has the office of chairman for a full term (former chairman).

The present law envisages that a former Senate chairman will be provided for suitable security as specified by the government. The bill, however, says a former chairman shall be entitled to life for full security detail, that is to say six sentries at the declared residence, four personnel of police, anti-terrorism force, frontier corps or frontier constabulary in one squad vehicle.

In the case of another bill covering all Senators, also passed by the Senate, their daily allowance, conveyance allowance, mileage allowance beside their entitlement for first class travels abroad on official visit. Number of travel vouchers have also been increased for each Senator.

The bill allows even ex-senators to enjoy certain facilities including the same medical facilities as are admissible to an office of BS-22 of the federal government.

For the Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition, in addition to what they are offered under the present law, the bill provides for “additional vehicles for the purpose of security”.

For chairman of the standing committee of the Senate the honorarium of Rs12,500 per month has been doubled to Rs25000. Instead of 1300cc car as allowed under the present law, the Chairman standing committee is allowed by the bill to have 1600cc car with 350 liters of petrol per month.

The salaries of all the MPs will be increased as per the raise given to government servants.

Interestingly except one dissenting voice- Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, all those present in the Senate voted for these bills. The PMLN, PPP, PTI all supported these bills.

These private member bills were moved by Senators Kauda Babar, Manzoor Ahmed, Mian Raza Rabbani, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Dilawar Khan, Farooq H Naek, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Dr Afnan Ullah Khan, Attaur Rehman, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Dr Shahzad Wasim, Zeeshan KhanZada, Fawzia Arshad, Sardar Muhammad Shafiq Tareen, Hidayatullah Khan, Saeed Ahmad Hashmi, Irfanul Haq Siddiqui, Mhammad Akram, Fida Muhammad, Prof Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, Saifullah Abro, Prince Ahmed Umar Ahmedzai, Danesh Kumar, Rana Mahmood ul Hassan, Falak Naz, Moulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Seemee Ezdi, Mohammad Humayun Mohmand, Keshoo Bhai, Bahrammand Khan Tangi, Abida Muhammad Azeem, Muhammad Tahir Bizinjo, Nuzhat Sadiq, Palwasha Mohammed Zai Khan, Hillal ur Rehman, Rubina Khalid, Saidullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Khalid Ateeb and Anwar Lal Dean.