Islamabad: The Supreme Court judges make more than the president, prime minister, ministers, federal secretaries, and parliamentarians.
The chief justice of Pakistan earns the most, followed by supreme court judges and the president. The prime minister earns less than ministers and federal secretaries.
Chairman Noor Alam Khan informed PAC members that the president earned Rs896,550. The prime minister earn Rs201,574, the CJP Rs1,527,399, supreme court justices Rs 1,470,711, and federal ministers Rs 338,125.
He said parliamentarians get Rs 188,000 and grade-22 officers Rs 591,475.
After the NA body requested details of perks and privileges enjoyed by the president. As well as prime minister, CJP, and other supreme court judges, the material supplied.
SC registrar misses PAC.
The high-powered NA committee has summoned the SC Registrar again. It also threatened to issue arrest warrants if he fails to appear.
The SC employee summoned by the PAC to audit the supreme court’s 10-year expenses.
“If the principal accounting officer of the Supreme Court of Pakistan does not appear before the PAC, why will the rest of institutions be accountable?” Noor said.
Attorney General Mansoor Awan said the Public Accounts Committee may evaluate audit reports on SC expenses.
Noor said the registrar had argued that the PAC had no jurisdiction over the SC account audit, which’s under hearing.
The PAC chairman reported 95 SC audit paras, 12 of which settled. He suggested the SC registrar appear before the committee to review the remaining audit paras.
Audit officials stated there audit objections to the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dam Fund, which the State Bank of Pakistan sought an answer on since a private account opened along with the government account where the money held.
The chairman asked why the Supreme Court of Pakistan should not be held accountable while the National Assembly and Election Commission of Pakistan were?
The Pakistani accountant general presented the PAC with obligatory expenses of the apex court from 2010-11 to 2020-21.
Noor said the committee would follow the Constitution. Due to 83 audit objections, just 12 resolved, the SC’s main accounting officer summoned.
Budget
Hussain Tariq said the meeting discussed the budget but did not vote on mandatory expenses.
The auditor general reported auditing all institutions’ accounts. Noor said the AGO audited SC expenditures from 2015 to 2021.
Tahir said that Articles 171 and 172 of the Constitution required the PAC to audit and account for all government-funded organisations.
Noor said they wrote to the NA Speaker to consult top lawyers Irfan Qadir, Yasin Azad, and Shabar Rizvi.
The committee requested Supreme Court dam fund details from 2010 to 2023. Noor said former CJP Saqib Nisar had stated there would be an audit when the fund was formed, but specifics were not being given.
The SC registrar was not required to testify before the PAC because its jurisdiction did not include reviewing the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s finances.
Khurram Shehzad, assistant registrar (Admin), on behalf of the SC registrar, informed the PAC that constitutional petition No. 57 of 2016, pending with the Supreme Court of Pakistan, concerned the collecting and use of funds for the Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand Dams.
The PAC was advised that Articles 68, 69, and 175 created a firewall between the judiciary and other governmental organs to guarantee their independence.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan’s Federal Consolidated Fund salary and administrative expenses are separate from the National Assembly’s grant requests.
