Senate panel calls for uniform pay structure for officers of same grade

ISLAMABAD: A Senate standing committee on Tuesday voiced concern over differences in pay structures across government service cadres and asked the Establishment Division to prepare a mechanism to ensure salary uniformity for officers serving in the same grades.

The matter came up during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat at Parliament House, chaired by Senator Rana Mahmood ul Hassan. The committee also instructed the relevant officials to submit a detailed plan for narrowing the existing pay gaps among various service groups.

During the meeting, Senator Aimal Wali Khan raised objections to salary differences between departments for officers holding the same grades. He said the issue had remained a point of contention and had become a major source of disappointment for many officers working in different departments.

Other members backed his position and described the current disparities in pay among service groups as discriminatory. They stressed that the gaps should be addressed on a priority basis.

Senators Saadia Abbasi, Mohammad Abdul Qadir, Anusha Rehman, Aimal Wali Khan and Atta ur Rehman attended the session in person, while Senators Saleem Mandviwalla and Amir Waliuddin Chishti joined the meeting virtually through Zoom.

Briefings on reforms and service matters

Senior officials, including the secretary of the Establishment Division and the Cabinet Division, briefed the committee on several agenda items. The secretary of the Establishment Division informed the panel about management pay scales and the progress made on Civil Service Reforms 2026.

The committee also examined the status of officers in BS-17 and above who hold dual nationality. Members were told that existing rules do not impose a complete ban on dual nationality for civil servants.

However, the committee was informed that a proposed policy and rules would require such officers to declare their dual nationality status and obtain government permission within 90 days. The panel also sought the draft policy on dual nationality for review.

OGRA briefing

In addition, the secretary of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) briefed the committee on Price Differential Claims (PDCs) payable to oil marketing companies.

The meeting focused on administrative and service-related issues affecting the federal bureaucracy, with committee members pressing for steps to reduce disparities and review policy matters linked to civil servants’ status and compensation.