NA Secretariat saves Rs4.5bn through austerity drive, cuts 301 posts

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Secretariat has saved Rs4.5 billion, or 27.3 per cent of its budget for the current financial year, through austerity measures, right-sizing and institutional modernisation, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said in a statement issued by the secretariat.

According to the statement, the total projected expenditure for FY2025-26 stood at Rs16.3bn. Of that amount, Rs9.4bn was allocated to employee-related spending, including salaries and allowances for MNAs and officials, while Rs6.9bn was meant for operational expenses such as utilities, maintenance, procurement and transport.

The secretariat said the savings included an estimated Rs2bn in employee-related expenditure and Rs2.5bn in non-employee expenditure. As part of its right-sizing plan, the sanctioned strength is being reduced from 1,725 posts to 1,344. Out of 381 positions marked for abolition, 301 have already been removed, while the remaining 80 are to be abolished in FY2026-27.

The statement said the reforms reflected the speaker’s commitment to a more efficient and performance-oriented institution. It added that no employee had been dismissed or compelled to resign. The secretariat also said the National Assembly had become an AI-enabled parliament through the use of advanced digital tools for legislative research, document management and administrative efficiency.