ISLAMABAD, June 18: President Asif Ali Zardari approved on Tuesday almost 100 per cent increase in travelling and daily allowances of the judges of superior courts.

According to a notification, the allowances have been revised on the advice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the request of the Supreme Court.

The notification said the daily allowance of Supreme Court judges has been enhanced from Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 and the travelling allowance increased from Rs6 per km to Rs12 per km.

Similarly, the daily allowance of high court judges has been increased from Rs2,400 to Rs4,400 in special case and Rs2,000 to Rs4,000 in ordinary rates and their travelling allowance has been enhanced from Rs6 per km to Rs12 per km.

“President Asif Ai Zardari, on the advice of the Prime Minister, today approved amendment in Supreme Court Judges (Travelling Allowance) Rules 1958 and has also signed High Court Judges (Travelling Allowance) (Amendment) Order 2013 to amend the High Court Judges (Travelling Allowance) Order 1965,” said President’s spokesman Farhatullah Babar.

The summary of Law & Justice Division says that mileage and daily allowances for the judges of the Supreme Court was last revised on June 8, 2006 and March 15, 2008 and in case of High Court judges in 2006 and 2009.

It said since the finance ministry had revised the mileage and daily allowances to the federal government employees on their tour or transfer with effect from July 1, 2012 and August 1, 2012 respectively, therefore in the same consideration it was necessary to increase the rates of mileage and daily allowances to the members of superior judiciary for which the Supreme Court had also made the request.

The High Court judges (Travelling Allowance) (Amendment) Order 2013, shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on the first day of July, 2012.

It says that in paragraph 7, P.O. No.4 of 1965, for the words “six rupees” the words “twelve rupees” shall be substituted.

In paragraph 11, sub-paragraph (1), (a) for the words “two thousand” the words ‘four thousand’ shall be substituted and (b) in the proviso, for the words “twenty-four” the words “forty-four” shall be substituted.