ISLAMABAD: Citing the ongoing price hike and devaluation of the Pakistani currency as the main reasons for their demands, a few members of parliament from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa plan to introduce a bill in the Senate, seeking a 400 percent increase in the salaries of the Senate chairman, deputy chairman, National Assembly (NA) speaker, and the deputy speaker, reported a local newspaper on Saturday.

The bill is also asking for a 100 percent increase in the paychecks of all MNAs and senators, in addition to a revised travel allowance for all MPs and their families, The News International said in an exclusive report.

If made into a law, the bill — a copy of which has been sent to the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs (MPA) for a review — will amend a clause in the Chairman and Speaker Act 1975 to increase the salary of the Senate chairman and the NA Speaker from Rs250,000 ($1,619) to Rs870,000 ($5,633) and those of the Senate Deputy Chairman and NA Deputy Speaker from Rs185,000 ($1,199) to Rs829,000 ($5,367).

The draft bill also seeks to increase the salaries of all senators and MNAs from Rs150,000 ($971) to Rs300,000 ($1,942).

According to a January 28 letter sent by the Senate Secretariat to the MPA, several senators “have given notice of their intention to introduce the subject cited Bill in the Senate.”

“An advance copy of the Bill is forwarded herewith for necessary action at your end,” excerpts from the document read, adding that the salaries drawn by those mentioned in the letter are not sufficient to meet their daily expenditures ever since the recent price hike and currency devaluation.