Akhtar Mengal returns Rs7.8 million in salaries, allowances after resigning as MNA

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Thursday returned more than Rs7.8 million in salaries and allowances that had been credited to his account after he resigned as a member of the National Assembly.

The former lawmaker submitted a cheque along with a letter to the Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) of the National Assembly Secretariat, requesting that all salaries and allowances credited to his parliamentary account following his resignation be returned to the national exchequer.

Akhtar Mengal had resigned from his National Assembly seat, NA-256 (Khuzdar), on September 3, 2024, in protest against what he described as the continued marginalisation of Balochistan and Parliament’s failure to address the grievances of its people.

Although he stepped down from his legislative duties in 2024, the National Assembly speaker formally accepted his resignation on February 11, 2026, with retrospective effect from the date it was submitted.

During the period between the submission of his resignation and its formal acceptance, salaries, allowances and other parliamentary benefits continued to be credited automatically to his official account.

In his letter, Mengal clarified that he had not withdrawn any of the funds credited after tendering his resignation.

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“For the record, I have not withdrawn any funds from the salaries or allowances credited to my account since the submission of my resignation in September 2024,” he wrote.

“All such amounts remain untouched in the designated parliamentary bank account.”

To facilitate the refund, Mengal submitted a cheque worth Rs7,892,725, authorising the National Assembly Secretariat to recover the entire amount and return it to the national treasury.

The National Assembly Secretariat officially acknowledged receipt of the cheque and letter on July 9.

Mengal said his decision was guided by personal principles and reaffirmed his commitment to accountability and integrity in public service, setting a rare precedent in Pakistan’s parliamentary history.