Re: Why Pakistani people have not taken to the streets?
I am not clueless of CJ salary jumps.
Salary of CJ was Rs 5500 in 1973 (dollar was Rs 9.90 in open market) and that means CJ in 1973 was getting $555 a month. [No pay rise to CJ by Bhutto]
In 1988 (when Zia died) CJ salary was Rs 7900 a month (dollar in open market was Rs 18) and that means CJ salary in 1988 was $ 440 a month. [Zia ruled 11 years and gave TWO pay rises to CJ (1981 and 1985)]
In 1998 CJ salary was Rs 20250 a month (dollar in open market was Rs 46) and that means CJ salary in 1998 was $ 440 a month. [CJ got THREE pay rises after the death of Zia (twice in 1991, and once in 1994) and appointment of Ajmal Miah as CJ in 1998]
In 1999 CJ salary was raised to around Rs 43000 a month (dollar in open market was Rs 54) and that means CJ salary in 1999 was $ 795 a month. [Above increase is considered by many as bribe to Judges. It was Fourth increase in 11 years after death of Zia]
In 2007 CJ salary is Rs 133250 a month (dollar in open market was Rs 60.90) and that means CJ salary in 2007 is $ 2190 a month. [Since 1999, CJ and other judges … well, all government servants … are getting pay rise regularly].
[And yea, be assured, I will never quote inaccurate figures intentionally. I have never tried to spread lies in my life :)]
Here is reference to Judges pay I quoted above (only thing is that I also quoted that in dollars after converting rupees into prevailing dollar rate of the time):
http://www.dawn.com/2007/08/04/top5.htm
Superior court judges get 25pc raise: President issues order
By Iftikhar A. Khan
ISLAMABAD, Aug 3: President General Pervez Musharraf on Friday increased the salary of judges of superior courts by 25 per cent. The president’s order shall be deemed to have taken effect from July 1, 2007.
The salary of the Chief Justice of Pakistan has been increased to Rs133,250 per month and of other judges of the apex court to Rs125,875 per month.
The salary of the Chief Justice of a high court has been raised from Rs85,900 to Rs123,500 and of other high court judges from Rs82,600 to Rs118,750 per month.
Last year judges of the superior courts got a 15 per cent raise.
In 2005, the salary of the Chief Justice had been fixed at Rs92,700 per month and of judges of the Supreme Court at Rs87,600. The Chief Justice of a high court was entitled to a salary of Rs85,900 and other judges were drawing Rs82,600 per month.
Apart from the salary, a judge of the Supreme Court is entitled to free residence, utility bills, an officially maintained car, a cook, a driver and a guard at his residence.
After retirement, a judge of the superior court is entitled to pension equivalent to 70 per cent of his salary in addition to 200 litres of petrol, 1,000 local phone calls, 1,000 electricity units, 12,000 cubic feet of gas and water charges. A retiring judge is also entitled to a car on depreciated value and a driver and a cook or an orderly at government expenses till the time of his death. The widow of a retired judge will get 50 per cent of the pension and after the widow’s death, sons of the judge who are less than 21 years of age will continue to draw the same amount. Unmarried daughters of a deceased judge will get the pension till their marriage.
The salary of the Chief Justice of Pakistan has progressively increased from Rs5,500 fixed in 1973. The first increase of Rs1,000 was made in 1981. Through a constitutional amendment order issued by General Ziaul Haq in 1985 the salary was increased to Rs7,900 with retrospective effect from July 1, 1983. The salary of the Chief justice was twice increased in 1991. It was first raised to Rs9,900 and then to Rs15,000. It was increased to Rs20,250 in 1994.
In 1995, the salaries of the judges of the Supreme Court were raised but the salary of the Chief Justice was not enhanced.
The Chief Justice’s salary was increased to Rs43,000 in 1998 and to Rs55,000 in 2002 effective from December 1, 2001.
The salary of the judges of the Supreme Court was fixed in 1973 at Rs5100, Chief Justices of the High Court at Rs5,000 and judges of the High Courts at Rs4,000.
Commenting on the raise, Supreme Court Bar Association President Munir A. Malik said it was not a favour. He said the government would fail to influence the judiciary by increasing salaries of the judges. “We have a new Supreme Court now,” he said.
