Sharif's Damage Control? Pakistan Ministers to Go Without Salaries for Six Months Amid Backlash Over Fuel Price Hike
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the Pakistani Federal Cabinet has opted to waive their salaries for the next six months. He underscored the government's dedication to implementing measures that protect the public from the ongoing pressures of inflation.
- World News
- 4 min read
New Delhi: In response to intense public outcry over record-breaking fuel prices in Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the Federal Cabinet has agreed to forgo their salaries for the next six months.
The decision was evidently an attempt to mitigate political fallout in the financially struggling nation, which is already battling high inflation. This comes after fuel costs surged by as much as 54% due to the Middle East conflict, a spike that has sparked widespread public indignation across Pakistan.
Following the intense backlash and public outcry, Sharif reversed course just one day after announcing an unprecedented hike, slashing the petrol price by PKR 80.
He revealed that the government has decided to reduce petrol levy by PKR 80 per litre, making the commodity available to the end consumer for PKR 378 per litre.
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Additionally, he announced that every member of the Federal Cabinet will waive their pay for the upcoming six months as a contribution to the government's austerity efforts.
Hike in Petrol prices
The government on Thursday (April 2) announced an unprecedented hike of 43% and 55% in the prices of petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD), respectively. The rise in petrol price from PKR 321.17 to PKR 458.41 per litre came as the government levy increased from PKR 105 to PKR 160 per litre, as per news reports.
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The government had also increased HSD price by PKR 184.49 per litre, from PKR 335.86 to PKR 520.35, but had abolished the levy, prompting demands that the government should follow suit with regard to petrol price, providing some relief to citizens.
“I am announcing an immediate reduction of PKR 80 per litre in petrol levy,” he said, adding that the new price of PKR 378 per litre would take effect from midnight, with petrol available at the revised rate at petrol stations across the country.
The Pakistan Prime Minister confirmed that fuel costs will be frozen for a minimum of one month. He underscored that while the conflict in the Gulf region has driven petroleum prices upward, the government remains committed to stabilizing the market for consumers.
No salaries for cabinet ministers?
Sharif noted that while the Federal Cabinet had initially agreed to waive their pay for two months to combat the fuel crisis, he has now extended that period. Under the updated austerity plan, cabinet members will serve without salaries for a full six months.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister introduced targeted financial aid for those most affected, featuring a PKR 100 per liter subsidy for motorcyclists. The relief package also allocates between PKR 70,000 and PKR 80,000 for cargo transport, while passenger vehicles are set to receive PKR 100,000.
The Prime Minister added that Pakistan Railways has been instructed to freeze economy class fares to protect passengers from rising costs. These measures come as Pakistan faces severe economic pressure from petroleum supply disruptions and surging global oil prices, triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing conflict in West Asia.