Fact-check: True, parliamentarians do not get free electricity
Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif recently claimed on X (Twitter) that members of the national assembly do not receive free electricity and must pay their own power bills.
The claim is true.
Claim
On July 27, Asif posted on X: “Electricity is not free for members of the parliament. I can show you my power bills for the last 35 years which I paid from my own pocket.”
He also mentioned that questions about whether judges or bureaucrats pay their own bills should be directed to them.
This post has garnered over 145,000 views and has been reposted over 900 times, to date.
On the same day, Khawaja Saad Rafique, another senior leader of the ruling-Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), also claimed on X that no parliamentarian enjoys free electricity.
“MNAs, MPAs or senators do not enjoy such perks,” he wrote, “Those living in the parliament lodges pay their own expense, if they don’t they cannot contest polls.”
Fact
Parliamentarians do not receive free electricity units, confirmed a federal minister, a member of the national assembly (MNA), a bureaucrat and the law which governs salary and perks for lawmakers.
Rashid Mahmood Langrial, secretary of the ministry of energy’s power division, which oversees the generation, transmission and distribution of energy, informed Geo Fact Check that no parliamentarian receives free electricity. “Everyone pays [their] bills,” he added.
Chaudhry Salik Hussain, the federal minister for overseas Pakistanis and human resource development, also confirmed to Geo Fact Check that MNAs do not get any free power.
“Even ministers in the government do not get any free electricity,” he said, “We receive normal bills just like anyone else.”
Naz Baloch, an MNA from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), also verified this information.
“This is my second term in parliament, and we have never been provided any such facility, nor do we want it,” she stated. “In fact, we pay two power bills every month — one for our residence and another for the [government lodge] in Islamabad.”
Additionally, Geo Fact Check reviewed The Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act 1974, which outlines the facilities provided to parliamentarians. There is no provision for free electricity in it either.
Follow us on @GeoFactCheck. If our readers detect any errors, we encourage them to contact us at [email protected]
