Karachi: The cash-strapped Pakistan government has dismissed as “baseless” reports of PM Imran Khan getting a near-four-fold hike in salary, media reported. The clarification was issued after news reports claimed the prime minister’s gross salary would be increased from Rs 2,01,574 to around Rs 8,00,000.
“At a time when the PM was carrying out a campaign to slash the government’s expenditures, the propagation of such a baseless and concocted news report was unfortunate,” the Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson was quoted as saying. Khan recently said he could not manage his household expenses from his official salary, the report added. “We have reduced the expenses of the PM House by 40%. I live in my own home, pay my own expenses,” Khan said.
According to The News, Khan earned Rs 1,96,979 after deductions, as per his February 2019 pay slip. Khan has also claimed that his foreign visits have cost the exchequer 10 times less than his predecessors. He said his visit to Davos in January for the World Economic Forum was sponsored by two businessmen friends.
