The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) met today in Islamabad under the leadership of Member of National Assembly (MNA) Noor Alam Khan.
The audit of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s budget was assessed by the committee. Members examined the disparities in pay, benefits, and privileges between Supreme Court justices and federal government officials and public workers.
Noor Alam Khan informed the committee that the President of Pakistan was paid Rs. 896,550 per month, while the Prime Minister was paid Rs. 201,574 per month.
According to the PAC Chairman, Grade 22 officials were paid Rs. 591,475, federal ministers Rs. 338,125 per month, and MNAs Rs. 188,000 per month.
He went on to state that Supreme Court judges were paid Rs. 1,470,711 per month, while the Chief Justice of Pakistan was paid Rs. 1,527,399 per month.
The PAC chairman questioned the extent of pay differential between Supreme Court justices and government employees, noting that the imbalance was blatant. Following additional debate, MNA Sheikh Rohale Asghar proposed reducing the Supreme Court’s budget.
While the PAC committee views compensation disparities between Supreme Court judges and government employees as concerning, it is worth noting that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman is given a monthly salary of Rs. 1.7 million, according to a Law Ministry announcement made in March 2023. His privileges and advantages include an official house, two automobiles, up to 2,000 units of free energy, and 600 gallons of gasoline every month.
