The details of salaries as well as perks and privileges admissible to Supreme Court and high courts judges were placed before the Senate on Wednesday that prompted some senators to demand similar kinds of facilities for lawmakers.
During a question-hour, in response to a question by Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Senator Karim Khawaja, Law and Justice Minister Zahid Hamid in writing shared the related details.
According to which, the salary of chief justice of Supreme Court with effect from July 01, 2017 is Rs 846,549, besides Rs 370,597 superior judicial allowance, Rs 68,000 house rent if official residence not provided, medical allowance is 15 percent of salary stand frozen level of its admissibility, ie, Rs 56,464 per month.
The salary of an SC judge is Rs 799, 699 and superior judicial allowance is Rs 370,597, while house rent and medical allowance is identical to what the chief justice is being given. Moreover, the SC chief justice and judges have chauffer driven two cars maintained at government expense at their disposal, one at principal seat and the other at provincial headquarters with 600 litres fuel, free medical treatment for the family, rent-free residence maintained by the government with provision of electricity, gas and water facilities.
Besides, they also draw TA/DA during official tour, ie, Rs 5,000 per diem special rate. Moreover, they will be entitled to concessions on tours, Rs 12 per kilometer, transfer grant equal to one month's pay if a judge has a family and equal to half month's pay if a judge has no family and also transportation charges, journey on duty reimbursement and exemption from income tax.
The salary of chief justice of a high court is Rs 784,608, besides Rs 296,477 superior judicial allowance with effect from July 1 this year, Rs 65,000 house rent if no official residence is provided, Rs 54,186 per month medical allowance, chauffer driven car with 500 litres fuel, free medical treatment for family, rent-free residence maintained by the government with provision of utilities, Rs 4,400 per diem special rate while Rs 4,000 ordinary rate, Rs 12 per kilometer mileage allowance along with concessions on long tour and other privileges, including exemption from income tax.
A high court judge gets Rs 754,432 salary and almost all other perks and privileges available to the chief justice of a high court. Senator Saeedul Hasan Mandokhail of PML-Q and BNP-Mengal's Senator Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldeni noted that the judges would be getting Rs 1.6 million per month, including all perks and privileges and why not the legislators should also get similar packages.
Senator Mandokhail even proposed that a member of the Parliament and an MPA should get the salary package equal to an SC judge's and a high court judge's, respectively. Deputy Chairman Senate Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri asked the law minister to satisfy the senators on this matter.
To this, Zahid Hamid said the senators were receiving the salaries and other privileges as per the act they had passed and if they deemed it proper, they could amend that. Replying to a question by JUI-F Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood, the House was informed that during the last three years, officers of the Prime Minister Office (Public) were sent abroad on 16 visits, of which nine were availed by Principal Secretary to PM Fawad Hassan Fawad.
Seven of the visits availed by Fawad, the most influential bureaucrat, were to China and two to the UAE. Other officers who went abroad include Javed Aslam, Abrar Ahmad Mirza, Babar Hassan and Syed Salahuddin Ahmad. Minister for Energy Jam Kamal Khan told the Senate that the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas pipeline project would be completed by December 2020 while its financial close was expected to be achieved by the end of this year.
He maintained that the estimated share of cost to be borne by Pakistan was about $200 million and that the pipeline would pass from Balochistan and one of the main off-take points would be Quetta and that the province would get its share of gas from the project.
The energy minister said in reply to a question by MQM's Senator Tahir Hussain Mashhadi that the managing director of Pakistan State Oil Imran Ul Haque as chief executive officer Engro Vopak Terminal Limited was being paid Rs 1,321,232 as basic monthly salary, Rs 132,123 special allowance, Rs 315,004 general allowance, VPP 2015, Rs 1,753,936, pension Rs 181,669, Rs 132,123 provident fund while total per month stood at Rs 3,836,087. Moreover, he is also entitled to two company cars, including Mercedes, BMW and Audi, 36 basic salaries as life insurance (normal death) and 72 basic salaries in case of accidental death and a host of other perks and privileges, including membership of two clubs.