A retired army official has sent Rs5,000 to Chief Justice Saqib Nisar along with a letter requesting that the amount be "deposited" in the national treasury "to help the country repay its huge debts", a statement issued from the Supreme Court registrar's office said on Tuesday.

The letter is written by retired Naek Muhammad Aslam, a resident of Mandi Bahauddin. The apex court mentions that this letter "reflects the confidence of nation on the institution of the judiciary and Chief Justice Saqib Nisar".

The "contribution", however, was returned to Aslam "as it is not within the mandate of the judiciary" to deposit money in the national treasury. The statement emphasised that the "gesture" was appreciated.

Pakistan's domestic debt in the past nine years is estimated to be Rs15,375 billion.