AGP initiates probe into Punjab,Balochistan salary raise issue

ISLAMABAD: Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) Rana Asad Amin has taken notice of the controversial salary raise, of late given by the Punjab and Balochistan governments, and sought a report on the matter.

Official sources said that on Thursday the Auditor General of Pakistan directed the Accountant Generals of Punjab and Balochistan to submit detailed report on the matter.

Both the Accountant Generals have been asked to see under what law these raises have been given and whether or not the relevant legal and constitutional provisions were followed. On the basis of the Accountant Generals’ reports, the Auditor General will decide if the raise in the salaries given by the provincial governments should be disallowed or released.

The Auditor General has initiated this probe on the basis of The News report, which highlighted how the chief ministers while using their executive powers allowed such raises in the salaries of selected class of employees, without the sanction of Parliament or the provincial assemblies.

A top legal mind in the federal government told this correspondent on Wednesday that these raises given by the provinces were violation of Article 240 of the Constitution. He asserted that it was the responsibility of the Auditor General of Pakistan to intervene and ensure that the raise given to federal government officials by the provinces without the approval of the federal government should be stopped and withdrawn.

The Article 240 of the Constitution envisages that condition of service of persons in the service of Pakistan shall be determined by Parliament. Under this Article, the terms and conditions of service of persons in the service of Pakistan shall be determined- (a) in the services of the Federation, posts in connection with the affairs of the Federation and All-Pakistan Services, by or under Act of (Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)); and (b) in the case of the services of a province and post in connection with the affairs of a province, by or under Act of the Provincial Assembly.

However, none of the provinces had bothered to refer the matter to Parliament or the respective provincial assemblies. It is said that in case of the federal employees including chief secretaries and inspector generals, any raise to be offered to them has to be done by the federal government with the approval of Parliament. Without federal government and Parliament’s approval, the provinces can’t change the terms and conditions of the service of such employees.

In the case of the provincial government employees, the respective government can give any raise but only with the sanction of the provincial assembly concerned. The present probe ordered by the Auditor General of Pakistan if endorses the point that the legislature’s sanction is must in these matters, will possibly deprive the chief secretaries and inspector generals of Punjab and Balochistan from the hefty raise recently given to them.

In such a situation, the raise given to LHC Registrar will also be undone. Initially, it was the Punjab government, which a couple of months back allowed Rs400,000 and Rs375,000 a month senior post allowance to chief secretary and IGP respectively. Later the LHC Registrar was given Rs400,000 a month senior post allowance.

Then the Balochistan government offered similar raises to its CS and IGP besides recommending to the Centre that these raises be also added in their pension. The Punjab government had also approved a post retirement package for retired chief secretary and IGPs. The package even in case of the death of serving or retired CS and IGP would continue for life for the families of these officials.

Through an executive order, the officials working in Punjab provincial secretariat were also allowed special allowance which would be 50 percent of their basic pay as frozen on June 30, 2011. Previously they were allowed 20 percent special allowance, which is also known as secretariat allowance.