The federal government has approved significant salary and housing allowance hikes for high court judges, according to a recent notification from the Ministry of Law and Justice.
This notification, signed by acting President Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, details significant hikes in housing and judicial allowances.
Under the new provisions, the house rent allowance for high court judges has been raised from Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 350,000. Furthermore, the superior judicial allowance has seen an increase from Rs. 342,431 to Rs. 1,090,000.
The notification also directs high courts to establish a comprehensive policy on the usage of official vehicles. This policy would cover aspects such as fuel, vehicle maintenance, drivers, and travel between benches.
Following the increases, sources suggest that the total salary of a high court judge is now likely to surpass Rs. 2 million. This comes after a previous request by the Islamabad High Court to the law ministry, urging a review of housing allowances due to the rising rental costs in the federal capital in recent years.