MPs to avail 25 business-class air tickets; Cabinet approves bill

The federal cabinet approved the draft Salaries and Allowances Amendment Bill, 2020, under which the members of both houses of parliament would be liable to claim 25 air tickets of the business class. In addition, their relatives could also travel along with them.

The members of the parliament could also claim the vouchers equivalent to the amount of 25 air tickets. Under this proposed amendment, each member of the parliament could claim annually a voucher worth Rs 875,000.

In addition, the amendment seeks to end the earlier ban on the parliamentarians to travel from their own constituencies.

These new privileges would cause an additional burden of Rs300 million annually on the national exchequer.

However, the amendment would be approved by the parliament.