President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday issued four ordinances, including one that raises the monthly salaries of federal ministers and ministers of state to match those of National Assembly members (MNAs).
This move follows the passage of the Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025 by the National Assembly in February, which had already secured Senate approval. The bill significantly raised lawmakers’ salaries.
According to the ordinance, “The federal ministers and ministers of state shall receive a monthly salary equivalent to the salary of a member of the National Assembly.” This change was made to the Federal Ministers and Ministers of State (Salaries, Allowances and Privileges) Act, 1975.
As a result, federal ministers will now receive Rs519,000 per month, up from the previous Rs200,000, while ministers of state will also be elevated from Rs180,000 to the same Rs519,000 figure.
The National Assembly’s Finance Committee, chaired by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, had earlier approved the hike, raising the monthly pay for each MNA and senator from Rs180,000 to Rs519,000.
On February 27, President Zardari also administered the oath to 12 new federal ministers and nine ministers of state. Additionally, three advisers and four special assistants to the prime minister were inducted. The federal cabinet has since grown to 43 members, including 30 federal ministers, nine ministers of state, and four advisers—primarily from the ruling PML-N, with allied parties also securing representation.
Among the other ordinances issued was one establishing the National Agri-trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA), aimed at ensuring sanitary and phytosanitary compliance in import and export activities.
Another ordinance, the Tax Laws (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, was enacted to facilitate the recovery of tax amounts currently tied up in legal disputes.
The president also signed the Capital Development Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 into effect.
