Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: In order to resolve pension-related problems faced by pensioners, the federal government has decided to create a master database of all federal and provincial employees which would make seamless transformation from payroll to pension roll, the finance secretary told the Supreme Court in its reply.

Finance Secretary on Tuesday submitted his reply in top court in compliance with its earlier order in a suo moto of non-payment of retirement benefits.

He said that he convened a meeting on December 13 with the mandate of a detailed review of the reasons leading to withdrawal of pensions, formulations of a comprehensive strategy to ensure the resolution of such reasons and development of an automated system of pension distribution with use of ATM Cards and biometric database of the NADRA with a view to make it convenient for pensioners.

He revealed that the decision regarding the master database would comprehensively resolve all problems being faced by pensioners, from preparation of pension papers and disbursement of pension to its subsequent conversion into family pensions on death of the pensioner. The finance division, establishment division and the controller general of accounts would integrate their efforts for the master database, he further informed. During the course of meeting, the Finance Secretary decided that all those present in the meeting associated with pension-related issues, would work as a permanent forum which would hold its meeting on regular basis to formulate within the least possible time.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the Auditor General of Pakistan, State Bank of Pakistan, National Bank of Pakistan, National Data Base and Registration Authority (NADRA), Ministry of Communications, Controller General of Accounts, Pakistan Post Office, Accountant General Pakistan Revenue, Military Accountant General, Secretary Finance, Provincial Accountant Generals and finance secretary.

He further informed that he had asked all the representatives to strictly adhere to the directions issued by the top court regarding disposal of all pending pension cases relating to federal and provincial employees. Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had taken notice on a note of Justice Amir Hani Muslim highlighting the issue of non-payment of pension-related benefits to retired employees despite the clear cut directions of Supreme Court judgment in case of Muhammad Ismail Memon.

Justice Hani had also mentioned the details of a large number of complaints received in the human right cell of the Supreme Court of Pakistan against different departments of the Federal and Provincial Governments besides the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues and the Accountant Generals of the Provinces, wherein the employees had complained of non-payment of their pensionary dues.

“A perusal of these complaints reveals that the different wings of A.G.P.R or the Accountant Generals’ offices are denying pensionary benefits to the employees or their widows by making frivolous objections,” the note had stated. Likewise, the relevant parent departments of the employees were equally negligent in issuing notifications of retirement in time and submitting relevant pension papers to the competent forum, thereby causing undue delay.

During the course of previous hearing, the Additional Attorney General (AAG) had placed before the top court some charts containing the factual position as to how many persons have retired in a particular period of time, how many cases have been cleared after fulfillment of the required formalities and the number of the cases awaiting a decision.

The top court, however, had directed the AAG that he in consultation with the establishment division secretary, finance division secretary and chief secretaries of all provinces would apprise the court in writing the mechanism for the evaluation, determination and payment of pension and also the plan whereby government functionaries could remove hiccups in the method of payment of pensions.