Following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s appeal to the corporate sector to increase the salaries of their staff, President and CEO ARY Digital Network Salman Iqbal on Friday announced a pay raise for lower-level employees.

In the first phase, Mr Salman Iqbal said the staff receiving a monthly salary of up to Rs20,000 will be given a raise of 80 per cent. “We have reached this stage with the blessing of Allah Almighty and countless efforts of the team,” he said.

Earlier, on Sunday, PM Imran Khan said that the corporate sector has made a profit of Rs980 billion, asking the business community to increase the salaries of their staff.

Lauding Mr Salman Iqbal’s move, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar tweeted, “Well done @Salman_ARY for increasing salaries of ARY employees substantially. Big business houses have made exceptional profits in the last couple of years. Hope others will also follow and share the increased profitability with their workers by increasing their salaries.”