Rs 1.2 billion earmarked for Law and Justice Division

Author: Syed Sabeehul Hussnain

ISLAMABAD: The government has earmarked an amount of Rs 1,200 million for the Law and Justice Division under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the fiscal year 2017-18.

However, according to PSDP documents, no funds from foreign assistance have been allocated for the development of Law and Justice Division.

According to the document of PSDP 2017-18, Rs 882.828 million has been allocated for five ongoing projects of the division.

The five ongoing projects include construction of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), construction of the Official Residence for Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) at Sector F5 Islamabad, the Federal Programme under Access to Justice Programme in all over Pakistan, Public Awareness and Advocacy about Dispute Resolution Mechanism of FTO and Strengthening the Ombudsman System of Administrative Justice and Expansion of Online Complaint Management Information System (CMIS).

Until June, the expenditure of Federal Programme under Access to Justice Programme in all over Pakistan is Rs 4111.662 million and further Rs 300 million has been allocated for the project.

Similarly, Rs 17 million is the expenditure of Public Awareness and Advocacy about Dispute Resolution Mechanism of FTO until this June. However, further Rs 20 million has been allocated for the said project for fiscal year 2017-18. The expenditure until June for CMIS is Rs 7 million and Rs 30 million further has been allocated for the project.

Likewise, Rs 1,638 million is expenditure for construction of IHC until June of this year. However, an amount of Rs 500 million further has been allocated for the purpose.

Similarly, Rs 21.2 million is expenditure until June for construction of FTO’s residence and further Rs 32.2 million has been allocated for the project.

With Rs 882.82 million allocations for ongoing projects, Rs 317.172 million has also been allocated for four new schemes, which are yet to be approved from CDWP. The four new projects include construction of Office Building of FTO, construction of residences for IHC judges, registrar and staff, construction of Sessions Division East of IHC and construction of rest house for IHC judges and acquisition of land.

Rs 82.721 million has been earmarked for construction of judge’s rest house of IHC (Acquisition of Land) and Rs 34.451 million has been allocated for construction of residence IHC judges, registrar and staff. Likewise, Rs 100 million each are allocated to construction of FTO Office and construction of session’s division east of IHC.

According to budgetary documents, estimates of the amount required in the year ending 30 June 2018 for salaries and other expenses of Supreme Court of Pakistan is Rs 1.81 billion.

Out of these Rs 1.81 billion, Rs 381.839 million is required for pays of the officers and other staff, while Rs 456.770 million required for employees’ retirements benefits. Likewise, according to the documents, estimates of the amount required in the year ending 30 June 2018 for salaries and other expenses of the IHC is Rs 486.601 million. Correspondingly, estimates of the amount required in the year ending June 30, 2018 for salaries and other expenses of the Federal Judicial Academy is Rs 133.920 million.

Respectively, an estimate of the amount of at least Rs 119.348 million is required in the year ending June of 2018 for the office of Attorney General for Pakistan excluding the offices of deputy attorney generals, additional attorney generals and standing counsels.