ISLAMABAD: In a startling disclosure, the government informed the Senate on Friday that the pension of the Chief Justice of Pakistan has ballooned to an eye-watering Rs 2.39 million in 2024 – a fourfold increase since 2010.
The revelation came in a routine written reply from the Ministry of Law and Justice, led by Azam Nazeer Tarar, igniting fresh debate over judicial perks amid a backdrop of widening economic inequality.
The Ministry’s breakdown laid bare a consistent, steep upward trajectory: from Rs 560,000 in 2010, the pension of the country’s top judge climbed annually to reach over Rs 2 million by this year.
This includes notable jumps – Rs 1.005 million in 2015, Rs 1.338 million in 2018, and a leap to Rs 2.39 million just this year.
The figures prompt urgent questions about fiscal responsibility and transparency in the allocation of public funds for the country’s superior judiciary.
Further fuelling public scrutiny, the Senate was told that the Chief Justice’s widow enjoys lavish benefits – including a driver, orderly, free water supply, an exemption from income tax, and monthly allowances covering Rs 3,000 worth of telephone calls, 2,000 electricity units, and 300 litres of petrol.
Critics argued these privileges, extending well beyond standard provisions, illustrate entrenched elitism within the country’s corridors of power.
The disclosures overshadowed proceedings as the Senate moved swiftly on other legislation, including the Petroleum Amendment Bill, 2025 and the Virtual Estates Ordinance 2025.
The latter sparked visible friction when Senator Afnanullah of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) staged a walkout, accusing his own party government of intellectual theft.
“This bill is mine,” Afnan protested. “I spent months preparing it, only for the government to block it and then present a copied version. This is outright cheating – credit must be given where it’s due.”
The Senate’s rapid referral of these contentious bills to standing committees leaves their fate uncertain, yet the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s pension hike is certain to ignite ongoing debate over judicial accountability and the prioritisation of public resources in a country grappling with economic hardship.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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