ISLAMABAD: Confusion arose on Wednesday after different government notifications appeared to contradict each other regarding the donation of federal cabinet members’ salaries for flood victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The finance division issued a notification suggesting the withdrawal of a directive for cabinet members to donate a month’s salary.
However, another notification from the same division stated that the one-day pay of senior bureaucrats from Grades 19 to 22 will be donated to the flood victims.
Meanwhile, officials at the Prime Minister’s Office clarified that the decision to donate one month’s salary of cabinet members has not been withdrawn, and that their salaries will be donated to the flood-hit people through another notification issued by the cabinet division.
The cabinet division’s notification said: “The prime minister has been pleased to direct that all federal ministers, ministers of state, advisers and special assistants to the prime minister shall contribute one month’s salary for flood relief.”
A senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office said the apparent contradiction stemmed from the fact that the finance division deals with the salaries of bureaucrats, while the cabinet division oversees the salaries and perks of cabinet members.
“Although the finance division’s notification gave the impression that the prime minister’s announcement had been withdrawn, ministers will definitely donate their monthly pay to the flood victims,” the official said.
Another notification from the finance division clarified that contributions would be calculated on gross pay and allowances before deductions and would not be included in the taxable emoluments of officers and officials.
