Supreme Court judges get massive hike in basic salary, benefits

The salaries and benefits of judges of Pakistan’s Supreme Court and High Courts have been increased after President Asif Ali Zardari approved a summary submitted by the federal government.

According to sources, the approved changes bring the salaries and allowances of Supreme Court judges in line with those of judges of the Federal Constitutional Court, while the basic salaries of High Court judges have also been revised upward.

The revised salaries and allowances for Supreme Court judges will take effect retrospectively from December 10, 2025.

Judges will also receive the financial benefit for the previous period, including payment of arrears resulting from the increase.

Following approval of the summary, the notification will be issued as the Supreme Court Judges’ Salary Order 2026.

Under the revised structure, the basic monthly salary of a Supreme Court judge has been increased by around Rs400,000, rising from approximately Rs1.1 million to Rs1.5 million. The Chief Justice of Pakistan’s basic monthly salary has been fixed at Rs1.55 million.

A significant increase has also been approved in the judicial allowance for Supreme Court judges. The allowance has risen by Rs339,000, from Rs1,161,163 to Rs1.5 million per month.

The revised package also includes changes to the pension-related provisions for Supreme Court judges. Under the new arrangements, the age limit in one pension provision has been increased from 70 to 75 years, while another age limit has been raised from 85 to 90 years.

In addition, Supreme Court judges will receive a monthly medical allowance of Rs150,000 under the revised benefits package.

The changes represent a substantial revision of the financial package available to Supreme Court judges, with the retrospective application also entitling serving judges to arrears for the period covered by the notification.