KARACHI, Dec 13: The Sindh High Court expressed concern on Thursday over non-payment to widows and other beneficiaries from the West Pakistan Government Servants Benevolent Fund and directed the Sindh government to do so within six months.

The order was passed by a division bench, comprising Justice Zahid Kurban Alavi and Justice Musheer Alam, in a public interest petition, filed by Haji Mohammed Ismail Memon, in which the Sindh government had been made the respondent.

The petitioner, who appeared in person, had prayed that the respondents should be directed to immediately release the funds and make payment of all outstanding dues that were payable to the widows and beneficiaries to whom such payments had not been made.

It was the petitioner’s case that according to the West Pakistan Government Servants Act 1966, the widows of the government servants dying while in service, and government servants in case of retirement on medical grounds, were entitled to monthly allowance for life. This payment was supposed to be made out of the WPGSBF. Apparently the respondent No 4 was the administrative officer dealing with the government benevolent fund payments.

The matter was taken to the provincial ombudsman who had also given his findings in favour of the petitioners. The ombudsman had observed that the Benevolent Fund amount was not dependent on budgetary grant as it was supposed to be the amount available in trust with the government. Non-payment from this account was illegal and unfair, the ombudsman had held.

The respondents had issued a detailed list of those to whom certain amount had been paid.

The court observed that it had noted from the detailed list that some persons had been paid up to date whereas to the other persons the amount had not been disbursed since 1985-86.

The statement of account that had been provided to this court by the office of the AG Sindh was a poor reflection on the state of affairs of the government, the court held. The amount that was due and payable to the widows should be paid forthwith, it ordered.

An additional advocate-general had submitted that due to financial liquidity problem, they were unable to make payment as they were totally dependent on the federal government for the release of money.

The court, therefore, disposed of the petition with direction to the Sindh government to effect payment within six months of the order of the court to the widows personally. If they were non-resident of Karachi, then the amount should be made available through the district coordinating officer of the area where the widows were residing.