LAHORE - Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday observed that monthly expenditure on deployment of security personnel for VIPs was Rs115.2 million and this amount could have been spent on education and health.

The top judge observed that annual expenditure on security for VIPs, excluding cost of petrol and vehicles, was over Rs1.38 billion. He gave these remarks while hearing multiple suo motu notices at the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry on Sunday. Justice Ijazul Ahsan was other member on the bench.

Justice Nisar said the court was informed that if the total expenditure was calculated it would be more than Rs 3 billion.  On Saturday, the Punjab police chief told the Supreme Court that 4,610 security personnel had been withdrawn from VIPs.

Later, in a separate case, the CJP expressed serious concern over non-payment of salaries to lady health workers. He asked why these workers have not been regularised. Justice Nisar said that lady health workers had been protesting for two days, but their voice was not heard. The CJP directed the secretary to resolve their issue.

He suspended transfer order for land record official Iram Shehzadi from one district to another, with directives to Land Record director general to present record at the next hearing.

After hearing of the cases, as the CJP left for his home and his vehicle came on the road, a number of litigants stopped his car in front of the Supreme Court’s Lahore Registry, pleading him to hear their grievances. The CJP asked the litigants to come to his chamber. He came back and heard the complaints of the citizens.