Rising inflation: Pensioners ask for hike

PESHAWAR: The All Pakistan Pensioners Association’s (APPA) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chapter demanded the government to increase the pension of retired government employees in accordance with the country’s rising inflation rate. The APPA’s provincial president, while staging a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club along with scores of retired government employees, said that pensioners are facing severe financial problems.“Two years ago a charter of demands were presented to the K-P government regarding an increase in the pension of retired government employees and an increase in the job quota for their sons. The provincial government has yet to consider their demands,” he said. The participants, most of whom were above 60, complained that they had faithfully served the nation but now the government has turned a blind eye to their problems. While the government has increased the salaries of current civil servants, those who retired have not been facilitated and are experiencing financial difficulties. The participants also threatened to stage a demonstration outside parliament if their demands were not met.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2012.