Energy and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said that the interim government has not taken any decision to implement the proposed new pay scale for government employees.
He said the report has only been received and the matter has been left for further scrutiny and for the next elected government to decide.
“The government has only received the Pay Commission’s report and has not taken any decision to enforce it,” he told reporters when asked whether announcing a new pay scale amid mounting debt was necessary and whether it could create financial pressure on the next administration.
The issue has been left for further scrutiny, with the final decision to be taken by the next elected government, he said.
Fouzul Kabir Khan said there was some misunderstanding over the matter, noting that government employees had been demanding the formation of a Pay Commission for the past 10 to 13 years, while such a body is normally constituted every five years. “That process has now been completed, and the commission has only submitted its report,” he said.
With the interim government having around 15 days left in office, he said it did not intend to take such a major policy decision at this stage.
To review the recommendations, the government has formed a committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary in line with established practice. The committee will assess the feasibility of the proposals, including their fiscal impact.
He said the report itself allows flexibility, as it clearly states that the next government will be free to change, modify or reject any recommendation. “The incoming administration will have full authority to act as it sees fit,” he said.
Responding to questions on inflation, Fouzul Kabir Khan said the commission, led by Zakir Ahmed Khan, was an independent body that had considered all relevant macroeconomic indicators. However, he acknowledged concerns over the potential financial burden if the recommendations were implemented in full at once.
“From experience, Pay Commission recommendations are never implemented all at once. They are usually enforced in phases,” he said, adding that the review committee would examine issues such as budgetary capacity, financing sources and phased implementation.
Rejecting suggestions that the move could put pressure on the next government, he said the interim administration was working in the interest of future governments, citing long-term initiatives such as the Power and Energy Sector Master Plan and a multimodal transport sector plan.
He urged the media to report the issue accurately, stressing that no gazette notification has been issued and no decision on implementation has been taken.
