ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has again increased the salaries and pensions of the Supreme Court and high court judges at an average of Rs10,000 per month, bringing the monthly salary of a Supreme Court judge to Rs62,400.

The notification issued in December 2003 has been given retrospective effect and will be applicable from July 1, 2003. It is the second raise in the judges’ salaries in one-and-half years. The last increase was made in January 2002.

The revised salary of the Supreme Court’s chief justice is Rs66,000 against his earlier salary of Rs55,000 per month which was fixed in January 2003. A Supreme Court judge’s salary is now fixed at Rs62,400 per month against his earlier salary of Rs52,000.

Each of the chief justices of the high courts is now entitled to Rs61,200 against his earlier salary of Rs51,000 per month. A high court judge will draw Rs58,800 against his earlier salary of Rs49,000 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.

A retired judge of the superior court is also entitled to 200 litres of petrol per month, 1,000 local phone calls, 1,000 electricity units, 12,000 cubic feet of gas, and water free of cost — or an average package of around Rs20,000.

Every retiring judge of the superior judiciary is also entitled to take away a car on depreciated value, most of the time at 30 to 40 per cent of the actual price of the car.

He is also entitled to have a driver and a cook or an orderly at government expenses till the time of his death. In case of death of a retired judge, the widow will continue getting 50 per cent pension of what the late judge had been drawing.

In case of death of the widow, the sons of the judge who are less than 21 years of age will continue drawing the same which their mother was drawing. The unmarried daughter of a judge would continue getting the pension till the time of her marriage.