Govt mulling 800pc raise in governors’ salaries

ISLAMABAD: Contrary to its much-trumpeted austerity drive, the PTI government is considering a hefty raise, more than 800 percent, in the salary of governors of all the provinces.

Official sources said the finance ministry has been verbally asked to do the spade work for increasing the salary of the provincial governors in proportionate to the huge raise (in salary) given to the President of Pakistan during the tenure of PML-N government in June this year.

Sources said the formal proposal for an increase in governors’ salary will be moved after the working on the proposal is complete. The president’s salary is around Rs920,000 excluding allowances. The president’s salary was a little over Rs133,333 per month till a few months back but the PML-N government had raised it manifold to Rs846,550 in June 2018. Later, the president got a 10 percent raise.

The rule was also set that president’s salary will be one rupee more than that of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. According to the information provided to parliament by the last government in 2017, the CJP’s salary was about Rs846,549 per month plus Rs370,597 per month as superior judicial allowance. Furthermore, if the chief justice is not provided official residence, he is also entitled to receive Rs68,000 as house rent.

It is not clear if the president’s salary and allowance exceeds the total salary package offered to the Chief Justice of Pakistan or the one rupee factor for the president is applied only on salary, excluding superior judicial allowance as allowed to the CJP.

The governor’s salary could be linked with the salary of the high court chief justice, whose salary in 2017 was Rs784,608 per month plus an additional Rs296,477 as superior judicial allowance and Rs65,000 as house rent if official residence is not provided.

A governor presently draws around Rs80,000 salary per month. Going by the formula applied for the president, this salary will go one rupee beyond the salary of HC CJ which in 2017 was Rs784,608 excluding the superior judicial allowance.

According to the details shared with the Senate last year, every judge (excluding the CJP) of the Supreme Court received Rs799,699 per month in 2017 as salary, Rs370,597 as superior judicial allowance and house rent compensation in the case official residence is not provided. Each judge then received Rs1.17 million, without the inclusion of house rent.

Other benefits for judges include a medical allowance of 15 percent, two chauffer driven cars, one present in Islamabad and the other in whatever province that the judge may be in to perform his duty. Judges are only supposed to bear the cost of petrol if it exceeds 600 litres a month.

Judges also receive Rs5,000 as daily allowance, while receiving concessions on tickets for official tours. They, however, have to pay for the tickets of their families and receive no exemption from paying taxes.

The high court chief justices received, in 2017, Rs784,608 per month as salary and an additional Rs296,477 as their superior judicial allowance and Rs65,000 as house rent if official residence is not provided. Similarly judges in the high court draw up to Rs754,432 per month in 2017 as salary, Rs296,477 as superior judicial allowance and are compensated if official residence is not provided.

Each high court chief justice and judge is allowed one chauffer driven car, 500 litre petrol, free medical care and Rs4,400 as daily allowance. If the judges in question are travelling for work, they are allowed to ask for Rs12 per km travelled.