Salaries of staff at foreign missions released partially

ISLAMABAD: The government has partially moved ahead with approval of releasing foreign exchange of $1.35 million, equivalent to Rs405.63 million, for payment of salaries, perks, and privileges to employees working as Press Attaches and Press Counselors in foreign missions.

However, the non-payment of salaries for certain foreign missions including those based in Washington, Hong Kong, and Singapore has not been resolved as they have remained without payment of salaries since June 2023. The sources said that the Ministry of Finance granted its assent for releasing of foreign exchange component for payment of salaries to foreign missions abroad with regard to employees of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting but now the State Bank of Pakistan and the National Bank of Pakistan would also require to complete all procedures to provide foreign exchange to the respective foreign missions. Ministry of Finance issued Office Memorandum (OM) on September 14, 2023, stating that it was releasing $1.35 million approximately for the release of salaries for employees belonging to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting working in foreign missions for the second quarter (Oct-Dec) period of the current fiscal year 2023-24. However, there was no mention in the latest OM with regard to non-payment of salaries for those employees of foreign missions who did not get salaries from last June 2023.