Pensioners surround KMC head office during protest

Pensioners of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) staged a vociferous protest outside the KMC head office on Friday against the non-submission of pension cases of retired and deceased municipal employees for the last one year.

The protesters, wearing black armbands and carrying black flags, regretted that more than 24,500 pensioners have not been paid as per the 25 per cent increase in 2019 and 2020. They also said that 9,500 pensioners and families of pensioners have not been paid their dues since 2017.

According to the list of their demands, the protesters said the pension of all family pensioners be increased to 75 per cent; provident fund be paid within one month of retirement; leaves be encashed on retirement, simplification of the procedure for payment of financial assistance and group insurance; the deceased employee's widow or child be given employment on the deceased quota within a minimum period.

The protesters, led by the head of TMCs Retired Employees Alliance Syed Zulfikar Shah, surrounded the KMC head office and shouted slogans. They also staged a sit-in at the KMC head office gate.

Karachi's deputy mayor sent PPP's deputy parliamentary leader Dil Muhammad to negotiate with the protestors. Dil Muhammad, accompanied by KMC's Financial Advisor Nayab Saeed and Director Welfare Pension Mehmood Baig, told the protesters that their greviances will be addressed within the next few days.

Following the assurance, the protestors called off their protest for three days.