In a move that reeks of double the government has formed an eight-member committee tasked with revising or introducing new allowances for government employees. This committee, which is expected to recommend salary hikes of up to 25 percent starting July 2024, is not only a questionable allocation of resources but also an obvious conflict of interest.
At a time when the government is grappling with a revenue shortfall, the idea of boosting allowances for civil servants feels almost absurd. Yet, despite mounting financial pressures, the government appears keen on securing its own political base—prioritizing bureaucratic perks over fiscal responsibility. This initiative comes after numerous lobbying efforts by various employee groups, spurred by the recent hefty pay raises for judges.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed an eight-member committee, led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, to review and revise existing allowances for government servants. The membership of this committee, however, raises serious concerns. It includes not only the Finance Minister but also senior officials directly connected to the beneficiaries of the proposed pay rises: the secretaries of Finance, Cabinet, Defence, Interior, and Economic Affairs, and even the Minister of State for Finance, a batchmate to many high-ranking officers.
There is a glaring conflict of interest here. The committee’s makeup violates the fundamental principle of fairness—it’s like letting the fox guard the henhouse. With those who stand to gain from the new allowances sitting on the committee, the very notion of impartiality is undermined.
What’s more troubling is the hypocrisy at play. Just a week ago, the Finance Minister suggested revisiting the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award—a move that would roll back fiscal devolution and reduce provincial shares in favor of sustaining a bloated federal bureaucracy. Rabbani sharply rebuked this, accusing the government of trying to maintain its lavish lifestyle at the expense of provincial autonomy and constitutional integrity.
The NFC, a critical pillar of fiscal decentralization, increased provincial shares significantly over the years. Yet, in the pursuit of more perks for its own, the federal government now seems intent on undermining this progress. The provinces will not stand idly by while the center attempts to violate the 1973 Constitution and reallocate their rightful share of resources.
In a nutshell, the government’s priorities are clear: lavish perks for a select few at the top while undermining the constitutional framework that ensures fair resource distribution across the country. This is a classic case of misplaced priorities—one that not only exposes the government’s double standards but also risks deepening the fiscal crisis it purports to be solving.
