LAHORE: The ministry of finance, through notification number FD (c)-Reg.6/2012 -1144 issued on July 2, 2012, increased pensions of those government servants three-fold, who retired on or after July 1, 2012, i.e., at 15 per cent for the year 2010 and 15 per cent for the year 2011, in addition to the 20 per cent increase for the year 2012. Thus, new pensioners have been granted an aggregate 59 per cent increase in their pensions.
On the other hand, the old pensioners (retired on or before December 1, 1996) were granted increase at 20 per cent of their pension after excluding medical allowance. It has been the practice in the past to allow higher percentage to old pensioners, i.e., 20 per cent as against 15 per cent to compensate them for the low fixation of their pension. The ministry of finance should have taken notice of this sensitive point. It is interesting to note that in the year 2010 and 2011, the new pensioners were already in service and enjoyed service benefits for these years through pay fixation, etc. The disparity in the increases in pension of the new and old pensioners needs to be addressed at an appropriate level to mitigate the sufferings of old pensioners, who have already been adversely affected financially, and are suffering from physical infirmity due to old age.
I request the authorities concerned to reconsider the case and grant equal increase in pension to old pensioners by bracketing them with new pensioners. We, the old pensioners, spent our prime period of life in the service of Pakistan in its formative years and performed our duties honestly and diligently.
Mushtaq Ahmad
Published in The Express Tribune, August 8th, 2012.
