Officers near retirement age in limbo

Govt yet to issue notification for amendment of law, salaries of officers withheld

PESHAWAR: Even though the provincial government forced legislation through the provincial assembly to amend the law to raise the retirement age from 60 to 63 years-of-age, nearly six weeks on it has yet to issue a notification for the law.

This has prompted those reaching the age of retirement to question the government on whether they intend to go through with the move. The finance department has also put their salaries on hold because of the government’s apparent indecision.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa (K-P) Assembly had approved amendments to the Civil Servant Act 1973 on July 31, despite protests from the opposition lawmakers.

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But with the establishment division yet to issue a notification, the K-P Finance Department has held salaries of all those employees who were due to be affected by the amended law.

The measure was taken even though the provincial assembly had informed all government departments about the law being passed from the house. Unpaid, many of these officers continue to turn up for work even as their status remains in the air.

Provincial Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra has stated that there was no need for the establishment division to issue a notification for amending an existing law.

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Asked then why were the salaries of these officers held, Jhagra said no one could exclude these officers from their posts nor should their salaries be held.

“We are working with the finance department and soon the issue of held salaries will be resolved,” he stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2019.