Federal cabinet ‘approves up to 188% hike’ in ministers, advisers’ salaries

• Cabinet approves hike of up to 188% in salaries. 
• Federal cabinet okays summary via circulation. 
• Approval comes over a month after NA passes allowance bill.

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved a staggering hike of up to 188% in the salaries of ministers and advisers, sources told Geo News on Friday.

According to the sources, the salaries of federal ministers, ministers of state, and advisers have been increased by up to 188%, with the federal cabinet approving the summary through circulation.

Sources added that after the approval, the salary of a federal minister, minister of state, and adviser will be Rs519,000, whereas previously, federal ministers were paid Rs200,000, and ministers of state received Rs180,000.

Furthermore, sources said that the salary of federal ministers has been raised by 159%, while the salaries of ministers of state and advisers to the prime minister have seen a staggering increase of up to 188%.

The development came over a month after the National Assembly passed the Members of Parliament Salaries and Allowances (Amendment) Bill 2025 — already approved by the Senate — with a majority vote, increasing the salary of the parliament members.

The bill proposes raising parliamentarians’ salaries from Rs218,000 to Rs519,000, aligning them with federal secretaries’ pay.

Sworn political rivals from all parliamentary parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), PML-N, and others, were on the same page regarding a massive increase in their salaries.

Separately, days earlier, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that currently no proposal was under consideration to increase the salaries and pensions of federal government employees in the upcoming budget.

However, he noted that the government is reviewing the ceiling and limits for hiring and housing allowances.

A large number of government employees form across the country staged a protest demonstration last month outside the Parliament House demanding increase in salaries, pension protection and an end to the privatisation of government institutions.

The protesters, under the banner of the All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), urged the government to take immediate steps to address their financial hardships amid sky rocketing inflation.