Ombudsman Punjab orders double pension for senior pensioners

Lahore: Ombudsman Punjab Javed Mehmood has ordered double pension to all pensioners without any discrimination crossing the age of 75 years. He has also ordered restoration of commuted portion of pension with all increases deducted at the time of retirement. He has also ordered Finance Department Punjab to issue instructions to Accountant General Punjab for making fresh entries in the pension books of pensioners crossing the age of 75 years. He issued this order on the applications received from various pensioners in this regard.

According to the details, various pensioners of Punjab government who have crossed the age of 75 years submitted applications to Ombudsman Punjab that at the time of retirement their 50% amount was deducted as commutation for 15 years whereas half amount had been paid and it was promised to restore the deducted amount after 15 years.

This amount remained in the government treasury and it is against the demands of justice not to restore equal amount after 15 years. Ombudsman Punjab directed Consultant Ombudsman office Wazir Ahmad Qureshi to enquire into the matter. He sought a reply from Provincial Finance Department and Accountant General Punjab. Finance Department was told that Supreme Court had issued clear cut instructions in this regard but Finance Department refused to provide relief to pensioners and did not present its stance at the time of joint hearing. Ombudsman in his order has written that Lahore High Court, Punjab Services Tribunal, Federal Services Tribunal and Supreme Court had accepted the right of double pension of retired employees in their decisions and the Additional Advocate General of Punjab government had also accepted this right of petitioners unconditionally before Lahore High Court as a result of which only those pensioners were given double pension who had filed cases in High Court. Ombudsman said that the constitution of Pakistan is very clear and the decision of Supreme Court in legal matters applies to all subordinate courts, federal and provincial governments and all departments are bound to implement it.

Ombudsman said that providing relief to only few pensioners by ignoring all pensioners tantamount to discriminatory attitude and is totally against the decisions of the court and the equality guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan. Ombudsman Punjab has ordered Finance Department to restore the commutation amount of all pensioners with all increases who had crossed the age of 75 years and issue instructions to Accountant General Punjab for making fresh entries in the pension books of pensioners and inform the Ombudsman Office about implementation of this order within a month.