K-P passes bill to raise retirement age

Opposition stages walkout over govt’s refusal to consider their amendments

PESHAWAR: The provincial legislature on Monday endorsed a move from the government to raise the retirement age of government officials in the province from 60 years-of-age to 63 years-of-age as part of its austerity drive.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly resumed its session on Monday morning with Deputy Speaker Mahmood Jan in the chair.

The assembly took up the K-P Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2019, which had been introduced by K-P Law Minister Sultan Muhammad Khan, and approved it. Apart from increasing the official retirement age, the self-retirement age has been increased from 45 years to 55 years as well.

The opposition, though, proposed some amendments to the law. Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMAP) Inayatullah Khan suggested enforcing the law from the next fiscal year and scaling the retirement age back to 58 years.

However, the treasury benches rejected these suggestions. At this, Inayatullah argued that while the government’s proposed law may lower its wage bill in the interim, it will only further inflate its pension bill. Further, he said that such a move will deprive youngsters of government jobs.

PM directs raising retirement age

He added that a committee for civil service reforms formed under former State Bank governor Dr Ishrat Hussain had suggested a retirement age of 55 years. The government, he contended, had not only ignored the suggestions of its own reforms committee but had also failed to solicit the opinion of thousands of government employees who will be affected by the move.

Inayatullah stated that the government did not have the authority to unilaterally alter the contract of government employees. His suggestions received backing from Awami National Party's (ANP) Shagufta Malik.

However, Advisor to the Chief Minister on Education Ziaullah Bangash explained that the government had decided to increase the retirement age after a thorough study which suggested that they will save Rs20 billion per year.

Furthermore, Bangash added that the move will generate 12,000 new jobs in the education department along with jobs in the health department. At this, an irate Inayatullah said that the CM did not know everything, to which Communication and Works (C&W) Minister Akbar Ayub stated that those who wish to approach the courts were free to fulfil their desires, adding that the assembly was the supreme-most institution while they will exercise the mandate given to them by the public.

Ayub further elaborated Bangash’s argument that in three years, they will save around Rs70-Rs80 billion while around 40,000-50,000 new jobs will be created.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Nighat Orakzai protested that if the move had such benefits, why was it only limited to the province instead of implementing it across the country. In a dig at Ayub’s confidence in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) majority, she said that the government could turn black into white and vice-versa as per its whims.

Inayatullah further argued that the law had been created by the finance department and not by the government.

The treasury benches, though, unanimously rejected the opposition’s amendments. This prompted the entire opposition present in the house to stage a walk-out.

With the treasury members left inside, the bill was approved with a majority.

Other bills, resolutions

After the opposition members returned to the house, the session resumed and took up five supplementary resolutions including on launching daily flights between Peshawar and Lahore, ban polythene bags, ban vendors outside the hospitals in Peshawar, provide internship opportunities to students in government departments and ban illegal weapons.

The assembly also passed a bill for the safety of mineworkers. The bill proposes that the government hire a Chief Inspector along with inspectors and a health inspector who will inspect mines for safety regulations. A monitoring board will be formed with the Mine and Minerals Development Department additional secretary as its chief. The department’s secretary will form a committee which will look into matters sent by the secretary.

Under the bill, it will be imperative to appoint a manager for each mine while a notice will have to be issued before any mine starts operation. Miners will be given set facilities while violators could face fines of up to Rs500,000 and a year in prison.

Similarly, no company will be allowed to recruit people younger than 18-years-of-age, or older than 60-years-of-age to work in mines.

Further, the assembly presented a bill for appointing a managing director (MD) for Mehrum Foundation who will be a basic pay scale (BPS) grade 20 or higher official.

PTI lawmaker Aisha Bano presented a joint motion stating that owing to encroachments, hospital entrances had shrunk considerable and an extra 20-30 feet at entrances should be ensured. She demanded that all encroachments outside hospitals should be removed.

Orakzai, though, opposed the motion. But her opposition was drowned out in approvals from her colleagues.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2019.