FAISALABAD, Dec 28: Pension and gratuity of those retired government employees against whom inquiries are going on are being withheld that violate the Finance Department’s instruction, Dawn learnt on Thursday.

The department on Nov 19, 2001, had issued a directive in which all departments had been given guidelines that the government losses pointed out in an audit report should be settled before the retirement of an employee. The department said that employee must give an undertaking that he or she would pay amount in case he or she was liable to pay the amount.

But the department concerned has withheld pension and gratuity of many retired servants.

Sources said the provincial ombudsman had also taken serious note of the practice when he observed that gratuity and pension of many retired employees was withheld on the pretext that audit inquiries were pending against them.

The violation of law caused difficulties for a number of retired servants, sources said, adding that scores of employees were running from pillar to post for months to get their money.

A government officer requesting anonymity admitted that they had stopped gratuity and pension but expressed his ignorance about any instruction by the provincial government about the release of pension.

He said that the provincial government had directed all administrative secretaries that gratuity and pension should not be stopped merely on the grounds of audit objections.