Pakistan’s economic crisis is no longer an abstract discussion among economists. It is a daily struggle for millions of families who find it increasingly difficult to buy food, pay electricity and gas bills, afford medicines and educate their children. Yet while ordinary citizens are repeatedly told that resources are limited and sacrifices are unavoidable, a fundamental question remains: who is actually being asked to sacrifice?
Inflation continues to erode the purchasing power of ordinary households. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, CPI inflation rose to 11.1 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, while rural inflation reached 12.2 per cent. For affluent families, such increases may be manageable. For low-paid workers, salaried employees and pensioners, they can mean reducing food consumption, postponing medical treatment or compromising children’s education.
Against this backdrop, the increase in parliamentary remuneration raises legitimate questions about priorities. In January 2025, the prescribed salary of a Member of the National Assembly was increased from Rs150,000 to Rs 600,000 — a fourfold increase. The sumptuary allowance was also raised from Rs 5,000 to Rs 35,000. These changes came at a time when millions of Pakistanis were struggling with rising living costs.
To be fair, Parliament has subsequently taken some austerity measures. But temporary reductions cannot by themselves resolve the broader question of equitable sacrifice. The public naturally asks whether those who legislate for the country should also demonstrate proportionate restraint when asking citizens to bear additional taxes and higher utility costs.
The situation of pensioners illustrates the imbalance particularly clearly. The federal government granted a 7 per cent increase in pension from July 2025. A pensioner receiving Rs 35,000 would therefore receive an increase of Rs 2,450 per month. At a time when essential goods, medicines and household expenses have become substantially more expensive, such an increase provides only limited additional purchasing power.
The plight of EOBI pensioners deserves even greater attention. The minimum EOBI pension has increased over the years — from Rs3,600 in the earlier period to Rs 5,250 in 2015, Rs 6,500 in 2018, Rs 8,500 in 2020, Rs10,000 in 2023 and finally Rs11,500 from January 2025. Despite these successive increases, the present minimum remains extremely small compared with the cost of living.
What can Rs11,500 realistically provide to an elderly person?
It may not be enough to pay a household electricity bill, purchase necessary medicines or contribute meaningfully towards education and other family expenses. Many elderly people remain responsible, directly or indirectly, for supporting dependent family members. After a lifetime of work, retirement should bring security and dignity — not another struggle for survival.
Healthcare makes the situation even more concerning. EOBI has statutory Medical Attendance Regulations dating back to 1980. However, a July 2026 report in Dawn highlighted the reported discontinuation of referral-based outpatient services for retired EOBI beneficiaries, including consultations, laboratory tests and day-care treatment. If such restrictions remain, elderly pensioners receiving only Rs11,500 a month can face an impossible choice between food, medicine and utility bills.
These workers are not asking for charity. They contributed to the economy during their working lives and are entitled to social protection in old age. Parliament should therefore examine whether the EOBI pension formula adequately reflects inflation and whether elderly beneficiaries have dependable access to essential healthcare.
Meanwhile, the ordinary citizen is repeatedly told that the government needs more revenue. New taxes, higher utility charges and various levies are presented as necessary for economic stability. Revenue collection is certainly essential, but a sustainable taxation system cannot depend indefinitely on squeezing households whose incomes are already under severe pressure.
Economic reform must therefore be judged not simply by how much additional revenue the government collects, but by whether the burden is distributed fairly. Those with greater capacity to pay should reasonably carry a greater share of the burden, while the most vulnerable should receive effective protection.
Public spending also requires greater transparency. Development funds should be directed towards genuine public needs — schools, hospitals, clean water, roads and basic services — rather than allowing the quality of public facilities to depend on whether a community is politically influential or economically privileged.
Pakistan does not lack economic experts, committees, policy announcements or political speeches. What is frequently missing is consistent implementation. Every government promises relief to the poor, social protection and economic reform, but millions of citizens continue to confront the same problems at the electricity counter, pharmacy, school and grocery shop.
Parliament is the institution responsible for legislation and oversight. It therefore has a responsibility to ensure that economic policies do not disproportionately burden those least able to absorb them. Lawmakers should examine their own privileges alongside the sacrifices demanded from the public, strengthen pension protection, improve social security and make taxation broader and fairer.
The questions are simple but fundamental: When will lawmakers find sufficient time to address the everyday problems of the people they represent?
When will promises be converted into practical relief? And when will economic reform mean not merely raising revenue, but also protecting purchasing power and human dignity?
Pakistan’s poor and middle classes do not need another slogan. They need affordable medicines, accessible education, manageable utility bills, decent wages and pensions that preserve their purchasing power.
Lip service cannot feed a family, pay an electricity bill or buy life-saving medicine. Practical action can.
The writer can be reached at mujtabanodeel@gmail.com.
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