Decorated soldier who fought two wars seeks pension increase

LHC bench admits petition for hearing, issues notice to defence ministry

RAWALPINDI: A former decorated soldier who fought in two wars for Pakistan has approached the court seeking the provision of free medical facilities in military hospitals and to increase his meagre pension.

The case has been admitted the case for hearing and has issued notices to the respondents, including the defence ministry.

In his petition, Sepoy Yasin Dasondi Khan told the court that was inducted into the Punjab military regiment on December 4, 1964. During the 1965 Pakistan-India war, he was deployed in Chamb and helped protect the country.

After the war, he was awarded a medal for gallantry.

Four years later, he was moved into the reserves and paid a pension of Rs14.

He was recalled during the 1971 Pakistan-India war and deployed in Rangpur. However, he was captured by Indian forces and remained in Indian prisons for three years. He returned to Pakistan on April 2, 1974, and was awarded a second medal upon his arrival.

But just a year later on July 12, 1975, he was again sent into forced retirement and transferred to the reserves.

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In 1981, he was called to the frontlines and on December 4, 1982, was sent to serve in the reserves.

His counsel, Inamur Rahim said that Yasin served cumulatively for 10 years, seven months and eight days. However, for his service, he is paid just Rs1,375 as pension without any medical facilities.

Noting that the complainant was 72 years old, Rahim contended that in 2018, the government fixed his pension as at least Rs10,000 but this decision was not implemented.

LHC-Rawalpindi bench’s Justice Miraz Waqas Rauf took notice of the case and admitted it for hearing.

He issued notices to the respondents in the defence ministry to submit a reply within three-weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2019.