IT Minister Reveals Rs. 1 Million Annual Salary for PTCL Board Officers

Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) has told the Senate of Pakistan that government personnel acting as members of the Board of Directors (BoG) are entitled to a maximum yearly pay of Rs. 1 million. These statistics were released by Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication, in response to inquiries about the board members’ wages and allowances.

According to the Minister’s written response to the Senate, the government’s official salary cap is a component of the instructions released by the Finance Division on July 10, 2024.

As per these rules, any yearly payments of more than PKR 1 million must be put into the government’s bank account. Furthermore, it is mandatory for officers to keep meticulous records of these deposits and report them to the administrative branch of their department to ensure compliance.

She went on to explain that the shareholder agreement between the Pakistani government and strategic investor Etisalat International Pakistan governs the board composition of PTCL. There are a total of nine directors on the board; five are proposed by Etisalat, and four, including the chairman, are appointed by the federal government.

The written reply states that the compensation of government appointees to the PTCL board is subject to strict rules meant to promote openness and responsibility. The rules are in place to protect the government’s ownership stake without undermining confidence in the organization’s leadership.