Nepra salary hike sparks debate in Senate panel

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division secretary has informed the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Division that he has taken notice of reports about the self-approved salary increases of the NEPRA chairman and other members and sought an explanation from them.

During the committee meeting on Tuesday, Senator Anusha Rehman and the Cabinet Division secretary had an exchange of hot words about the PTA Amendment Bill 2025. Senator Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan chaired the meeting.

While addressing the agenda related to PSO procurement rules, Cabinet Division Sesretary Kamran Ali Afzal said that no summary regarding the rules has been received. He said that PSO’s Board of Management has a tenure of one year and raised a legal question about whether the SOE Act or the department’s own rules should apply.

The general manager of legal affairs at Pakistan State Oil (PSO) briefed the committee, highlighting conflicting laws—namely, the Companies Act, the SOE Act, and others—that apply to PSO.

The secretary also explained the reasons for delays in formulating procurement rules and the formation of the PSO board. This issue has been referred to the Ministry of Petroleum. The OGRA DG briefed the committee on procurement rules, while the Printing Corporation MD also provided updates.

The Pakistan Telecommunication (Reorganisation) Amendment Bill 2025 was another key agenda item. The Cabinet Division secretary clarified that the PTA Act determines employee salaries and a proposed amendment seeks to delegate the authority for salary increases to the prime minister. He said that inflation necessitates legislative action for salary adjustments.

Senator Anusha Rehman said that the PTA, as a regulator, falls under the domain of the Ministry of IT, which should have been consulted regarding the bill. She said that any salary increases at PTA should go through the Ministry of IT and apply to all MP-1 officers.

The secretary disagreed, emphasising that regulatory bodies are independent of the Ministry of IT. A confrontation also took place between Senator Sadia Abbasi and Senator Anusha Rehman. Senator Sadia criticised Senator Anusha, accusing her of attempting to hijack the committee’s proceedings.

The secretary proposed that the authority to determine PTA Board of Governors’ salaries should rest with the cabinet. He said that an explanation had already been sought regarding the salary increases at NEPRA.

Addressing Senator Anusha Rehman, the secretary remarked that, in his personal opinion, she lacked legal understanding, intensifying the tensions.

Senator Saleem Mandviwalla suggested placing all regulatory bodies under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet Division. While the Ministry of Law and Justice supported the bill, the Standing Committee deferred the Pakistan Telecommunication Amendment Bill 2025 to the next meeting and summoned the Minister of State for IT, Sheza Fatima Khawaja.

The bill proposes transferring the authority to increase the salaries of the PTA chairman and board members to the federal cabinet. The NEPRA DG provided a briefing on IPP tariff determinations, while the DG of the Cannabis Control Authority gave an update on cannabis regulations.

Committee member Maulana Ataur Rehman raised concerns about the religious permissibility of cannabis usage. The DG clarified that cannabis is permissible for medicinal, cosmetic, and commercial purposes.

Maulana Ataur Rehman recommended seeking a ruling from the Council of Islamic Ideology to prevent uses that might conflict with religious principles.

The DG further elaborated that countries like Morocco have effectively utilised cannabis for positive purposes, including producing medicines that assist in addiction recovery. Unfortunately, Pakistan still relies on importing such medicines. The Chairman of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing authority also briefed the committee.