Pakistan’s top judge makes Rs8.9 million annual salary
Despite the ongoing executive-judiciary tension, Pakistan’s top judge takes home an annual salary of Rs8.9 million while his associate justices each make over Rs8.7 million per annum – after President Zardari gave his nod to a 30 per cent increase in the salaries and allowances of the superior court judges.
In the Senate’s question hour session on Friday, Law Minister Farooq H. Naek wrote a reply concerning the details of salaries and allowances of top court judges, to a question posed on the matter by Awami National Party’s (ANP) Haji Adeel.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s cumulative monthly salary and allowances amount to Rs724,321 apart from other perks and privileges.
The judges of the apex court have been receiving the revised salaries since July 2011.
President Asif Ali Zardari had approved a 30 per cent increase in the salary and allowances of superior courts’ judges this year.
According to the details produced in Senate, the Chief Justice receives a salary of Rs448,221, judicial allowances amounting to Rs196,219, a house rent of Rs68,000 if official residence is not provided and 15 per cent of the salary as a medical allowance.
He, aside from other privileges, also enjoys a chauffeur-driven car with 600 litres petrol monthly, free medical treatment for his family, a rent free residence which is maintained by the government and provisions to electricity, gas and water.
The Chief Justice’s associate judges in the Supreme Court each receives Rs8.7 million annually. A judge of the apex court receives a total of Rs754,643 per month, which includes the additional perks. Their monthly salary amounts to Rs423,414 and they enjoy the same perks as the CJ.
Chief justices of high courts, on the other hand, each make over Rs8.4 million annually while the associate judges earn Rs8.3 million annually. Judges of the high courts also enjoy perks such as a chauffeur-driven car with 500 litre of petrol.
Interestingly, Pakistan’s top court judges earn less as compared to the current earnings of the Chief Justice of US Supreme Court who receives $223,500 (around Rs21.2 million) per year, while his associate justices each make $213,900 (around Rs20.6 million).
The chief justices of high courts each receive Rs698,424 per month while judges of these courts make Rs399,447 each.
A chief justice of the high court receives a monthly salary of Rs415,424, judicial allowances of Rs156,975, a house rent of Rs65,000 and 15 per cent of overall salary as medical allowances.
Ghost Schools
During the question hour, Senate was informed that the number of ghost schools in the country has shrunk from 20,000 to around 800 only.
Minister of State for Education and Training Sardar Shahjahan Yusuf informed lawmakers about cases of financial embezzlement against four provincial directors in the basic education community schools project of the National Education Foundation. He said the investigation into these cases is under way. The ministry is further probing the ghost school issue and has referred them to NAB and FIA.
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
Minister for Climate Change Rana Muhammad Farooq Saeed Khan told the House that the National Disaster Management Authority has a total staff of 136 people and none of them are rehired.
The NDMA in collaboration with United Nations Partners has extended several basic trainings in the field of disaster management to their employees, and government officials serving in remote areas of the country. He said the federal government is providing food assistance to the flood-stricken districts of Sindh.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2012.
COMMENTS (59)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1732071267-0/lana-(2)1732071267-0-405x300.webp "article")
1727242355-0/Diddy-(1)1727242355-0-165x106.webp "article")
1732063440-0/elon-(3)1732063440-0-165x106.webp "article")
1731749026-0/Copy-of-Untitled-(3)1731749026-0-270x192.webp "cutting edge defence tech goes on display")
The actual earning of him is through his son Arsalan
I completely failed to comprehend the point of this exposure! So,what if they are drawing legally this yearly amount as a salary ? Nothing amazing nor news worthy in my personal opinion.The salary is fixated and sanctioned by the President of Pakistan (only running expense of the presidency !amounts to about Rs.20 million per day) and not been demanded as such by them per force!
I am certain,there are many top media personality's,cricketers and contractually appointed Chief Executive,in the semi-autonomous government corporations,who happen to be drawing two to three fold more then them.Correct me,if I am could be wrong.But the last PIA Chief ,was heard to have been getting Rs.5 million per month and extraordinary perks alongside the salary.
Oh, I forget to mention, the timing of this post is perfect !
The author of this post seems very updated ! . Can you please also inform your fans about the income of Colonel level Army officers or above ? Cause I never saw poor Army Col. or General !! . What are the benefits after retirements, like DHA plots x n ? etc !
I don't understand why there is so much discussion on judges salaries. It's in no way excessive. Those who can't comprehend it need to uderstand that as a State and people in the State you would have to have best minds as judges. After all they are the ones who decide others disputes. So it has to attract the best minds and then keep them in a shape that they can give thier best. A comparasion, if at all, is to be made it should be for what senior lawyers like Aitzaz's, Perzada's, Anwar's etc make in a month / year. However, also keep in mind the public scrutiny the judges have to face, now a days.
@Timour: Comparing with US Judges is well because, price of food and clothing as same as US.
with this huge and heavy guards they can't even punish confirm terrorist they are just neutralize with one call from any one of them there own people working front man of them.Justice is far off.
Faisal Raza Abdi's cell
There must not be a huge gap between the salaries of top position holders and other employees of the country. This situation is creating discrimination among people. Islam teaches us the lesson of equal distribution of wealth, while our policies are apposite to this teaching. I think it is not fair. How a top position holder or bureaucrat can understand the problems of low income people while he never has faced such situation?. Salary of any position should be fixed considering the income level of other people in the same country. I am really shocked to listen that CJ and other bureaucrats of a poor, developing country are enjoying such income and perks.
@Imran: Think he forgot tot mention the bonus. Is it halal to work for a Jewish company? :).
Again, another anti-Imran attack. Is this judge the only one to make such money, don't all politicians make huge amount of money too?
It is disgusting and shameful to learn that our SC judges are making about a million Rupees (in local currency) a month (if you also include the monetary value of their unlimited top medical care for their entire families and first class air tickets , 5 star hotel, plots, etc, etc). SC judges are paid dollars (local currency of U.S.) 20,000 a month. Readers should know that as compared to USA, per capita income of Pakistanis is about $ 500 a year versus while per capita income of American citizens is more than $ 50,000 a year. U.S. supreme Court renders decisions for a society producing goods and services worth $ 15 trillions, while Pakistan's GNP is about $ 50 billion.
These judges are ripping off our poor country and its sinful that they are feasting on the toil and labor and sufferings of our poor, deprived citizens. There's absolutely no justification whatsoever for our judges to be paid these obscenely ludicrous salaries. This must stop. Does greed has any limits?
average 8 thousand pounds a month before taxes and national insurance and pension contributions,, cash in hand about 4000 but then there is no free housing Petrole ,cars, servants and back handers ,judges and doctors live in middle of the range houses and don't drive top of the range cars,
They may be paid any amount, they remain inefficient, indecisive, professionally deficient, wanting in moral courage and self obsessed. Justice system has become a business between Bar and Bench. Even after becoming judges, their chambers are still functional which are run by their frontmen and all the deals take place there. Lawyers prolong the cases and fleece the litigants. It is the failure of judiciary that more and more people are going towards settling disputes either through Jirgas or taking up arms. Judiciary has further exposed itself when they let off terrorists to save their skins and allow them to kill innocent people. Malala and the like are the victims of moral insolvency of Judiciary.
@Logic Europe: and what do doctors and judges get paid in USA and UK?
@Nadeem: why is everyone talking in dollars?
But what abt income tax? Do they pay any?
Now that is hight of justice. An average Pakistan at an average salary of PKR 400/day will have to work for 61 years without a single day vacation to match the salary of our very honorable chief justice.
I believe he should get this salary per month....then he will be able to give decisions on merit.
@J: Seems like either Goldman Sachs or you are too cheap! I was expecting a significantly higher salary in compared to $125k.
Some folks are so naive to compare the salaries of a public official with the salaries of professionals in private organisations. If we take the same yardstick the US President would be putting the entire budget in his pocket as his salary is significantly lower than that of CEOs of major corporations. And from the numbers quoted above, the US president draws higher salary than the US CJ.
Thats a prestigious position with prestigious pay.
@Ajamal:
And yet we still have beta Arsalan scandal? What should we do pay the corrupt even more? Corrupt will be corrupt no matter how much you pay.
Wow so much money paid out to these judged n yet the judicial system is still in a big mess!!!
Why is it "interesting" that he gets paid less than a US SC judge?
Wha-? My starting pay was more than that. It's less than $100k a year. I was hired straight outta college by Goldman Sachs for $125k two years ago!
And I am sure he has got away with a matching fortune in TA / DA claims, in the pretext of delivering so-called justice by extensive travel to places away from his principal seat. Clever.
Judges must be paid well to ensure they do not get pushed to corruption easily. However, in our case, we do not see justice being done, particularly at lower judiciary.
To improve the judicial system, we need to attract the best of legal minds to the judiciary. The best of legal minds are found among the top tier lawyers and it is no secret that these top lawyers earn a lot of money and charge handsome fees for their services. This does not happen overnight and one works very hard for at least 15-25 years to be among the top 10% in the field. As a society, we need to reject cynicism and respect such hard working lawyers, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs who rise above competition and excel in their fields. These are the role models for the young generation. More than 99% of these high achievers in their fields have worked tirelessly for many years before reaching there. Yes there are some crooks who bend the rules but they are a flash in the pan and we should not promote or even discuss them. As for any other field, in order to attract the best people to the judiciary, we need to offer good salaries and perks so that they can lead respectable lives. Perhaps more important than money and perks is that the society needs to give them respect and honour so that people of impeccable character come forth and serve the judiciary and give it the much needed overhauling.
That's less than $8000 per month.... Come-on... an IT consultant makes more than that...
Compared to this the Chief Justice of India gets a salary of Rs 1,00,000 per month. And he does not get to summon the PM once in a while too.
Goes to prove that India is a poor third world country while Pakistan is rubbing shoulders with the US of A.
@Justice
INR 1 lakh/month - Chief Justice of India.
INR 90,000 /month - Supreme Court Judges & High Court Chief Justices.
INR 80,000/month - HC Judges.
Chief Justice of Bangladesh - Tk 56,000/month
Even illiterate and semi-literate players are making more money.
it is a shame .. even Hamid Mir, Talat Hussain , Kashif Abbasi, Kamran khan earn more then our Cheif justice .. even babar awan, Hafeez Pirzada, Aitzaz Ahsan earn more then CJ
and what is their output
It's not what they get, that counts. It's what they deserve that counts, and the judiciary in general certainly does not deserve this. The governments stand for increasing salaries every now and then is a transparent malefide act to damage the image of the judiciary.
Well, the salary is not that much considering the fact that it takes upto 30 years to be in that position. My father being a bureaucrat himself, belonging to the PSP grp had a salary of 90,000 when he became IGP, the highest post that can be held by a police officer. Considering the level of inflation and the current expenses, it is not possible to manage with this meagre salary and even if the perks like car and fuel are there, you can not sell fuel or rent out cars to purchase consumer goods . this is discouraging for a lot of people and people from respectable families do not want to serve in the government except when they want extra income through bribery and unethical means. Bottom line is that the salaries should be increased, the perks should be quantified.
I'd to read an article/news item stating the amounts earned by fraud by the government officers, ministers, tax evaded and bribes given by the industrialists, media entities, etc...
The Pakistani judges should declare their assets in the public domain,as some of the Indian judges of high courts and supreme court have done. A comparison between the Indian judiciary and Pakistan judiciary is apt. In India,there is RTI Act,which is applicable to the judiciary also. On October 12,this RTI Act completed 12 years. The latest judgement of the Supreme Court of India is yet another instance of the judiciary crossing its laxman rekha. All RTI appeals will have to be stopped till the appointment of new judicial members. The culture of adjournments in the judiciary will also spread to the Central Information Commission and also to state information commissions. Where from the new judges will come as there are already a large number of vacant positions of judges in high courts. In Pakistan,there is no RTI Act. The pakistan supreme Court has a code of conduct for judges in the public domain,whereas in India no such thing exists. Many high courts in India have prescribed rules for RTI in violation of the parent act. Under the RTI Act,a fee of Rs.10 is prescribed for an application,whereas the various high courts charge fee ranging from Rs.25 to Rs.500. Judicial corruption is in India also. Justice is only for the rich people,and not for ordinary public. Judicial corruption is a global phenomenon. What is needed is an act for litigants,which can give them rights. It is strange that eventhough the legal system revolves around the litigants,there are no separate laws for litigants. There are laws for judges and the lawyers,but litigants have been ignored all together.
Mr chaudhry always mentions Khalif Umar RTA , shouldn't he be paid in a similar fashion? why not decline 30 percent rise ? wher does 600 litres of petrol go ? taking high salary in a poor country is also corruption, In America and britain judges and doctors are paid same money and they don't do politics
"serve locally, get paid globally"
its not that much a top notch lawywer makes a lot more, so i guess the top notch judge should get handsome remuneration from state so that he dont need to look else where, as a matter of fact all judges should be paid handsomely
judges should get good salaries so that they are mentally free to do justice.i would request tribune to also publish salaries and perks of chief aor army staff and corps commanders.
This Govt gives 42000 per month to a doctor and thinks they have bought them......with toughest work like a Mazdoor.....Do compare our salaries with the USA doctors too.
So whats the point? Salaries and perks of all the top men including our president, COAS, prime ministors, MNAs, MPAs and of course the CJP need to be reduced. Why target the CJP alone?
@Raza Khan: Yea, maybe we should increase the salary of the president, because he's clearly not making enough from his day job.
After all the corruption cases the judges have handled, their salaries should be increased as a minimum. Otherwise, we deserve the treatment we're getting.
If PIA deputy managing director who is drawing a tax-free salary of $50,000 per month, then it’s no big deal on part of CJP and SC Judges for this salary slab. Directors, CFO’s GMs in many local industrial groups are earning more than 1 million per months. The multinational groups are paying even above 1 million to their management heads.
Too much salary especially for poor country like PK! We the citizens of PK are paying through taxes such huge salaries to judges who are busy settling their personal vendatta against certain political parties.
How much an Indian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan judge earns? Pakistan is not USA, Canada or KSA having that level of salaries!
Height of stupidity to compare the salary of Chief justice of Pakistan with that of US.
Is there a pun intended ? Is our justice system efficient like that in US ? If not then why compare apples with oranges.
A more appropriate comparison would be to see the salary structure of apex court in nigeria and compare with ours.
How is the comparison with US judges even valid or interesting...its like comparing apples with camels....comparison with salaries of judges in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka along with number of cases heard and settled per year and number of cases pending at each level would probably be more useful and interesting.
There is another aspect to this. can anyone also tell us what would have been the income had the judge was working instead as a lawyer?