KARACHI, PAKISTAN:
Information received from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the right to information, identifies a total of 164 civil and military Pakistani government pensioners, residing abroad, who are every month paid pension in foreign exchange, sent from Pakistan. That the yearly burden of these select few government pensioners is Rs200 million (paid in foreign exchange).
By providing these specially carved-out favours, the Foreign Office and the Accountant General Pakistan Revenue indulge in two serious violations. They violate Article 25 of the Constitution which declares equality of all citizens before law. While doing so, they also harm the vital interests of Pakistan. The payment of pensions to a ‘chosen-few’ deprives Pakistan of its most critical and deficient resource i.e. foreign exchange. This is a country that has to sell its self-respect and compromise its sovereignty to beg for every single dollar. How come when Pakistan fights its battle for financial survival, the two mentioned state organisations decide to provide special indulgence to an elite group of 164 individuals by granting them the luxury of pension in foreign exchange. This must come to an end immediately and all pensions of all retired government officials be paid in Pakistan rupees only.
The Foreign Office and the Accountant General must rise to the call of their conscience, stop promoting elitism, create equality for all citizens and protect the interests of Pakistan.
Naeem Sadiq
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2023.
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