Sir: The federal government has stuck to its old position and announced only 10 percent increase in the pensions of the retired government employees in the new federal budget for the financial year 2017-18, whereas the pensioners have been demanding a minimum of 20 to 25 percent increase. The announced raise in the pension is nothing more than peanuts, a cruel joke with the pensioners and not compatible with the rapid increase in the cost of living and price hike of essential articles every day. Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is requested to be considerate enough to ensure pensions of the retired government servants is increase at least by 20 to 25 percent taking a humanitarian view of their plight. The proposed increase of just 10 percent is quite disgusting, disappointing and is rejected out rightly and not acceptable at all in the prevailing circumstances, please. It is rather not understandable as all the federal governments have been treating the serving government servants and retired employees at par by increasing salaries and pensions by the same yardstick of 10, 15 or 20 percent of every budget. Poor retired government servants are dependent on their pensions only whereas the serving government employees get many allowances like conveyance allowance, house rent allowance and other facilities with their salaries as well as annual increments also. Every time including this time when the federal government is increasing salaries of the serving government employees, pensions of the retired employees should be raised double than that. As of now, the pensions should at least get 20 percent increase in their pensions if not more. MUHAMMAD MURTAZA ZEESHAN Lahore