I APPEAL to Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid to instruct the Associated Press of Pakistan management to resolve the following issues and save retirees like me from financial hardship.

Reimburse my outstanding medical bills of more than Rs250,000 (as on Sept 5, 2014) incurred by me on the purchase of essential medicines and eye operations for myself and my wife who is an asthma patient.

The bills have accumulated since 2009. APP’s representative had assured the Ombudsman, Karachi, on Feb 12, 1981, of prompt payment. But to date the payment is awaited.

Restore medical care to APP retirees at Panel Hospital, Karachi, which has stopped giving medical care to APP employees and retirees since September 2013 for non-payment.

Ensure the regular availability of the APP panel doctor at Karachi for retirees along with other employees.

The serving doctor on the APP panel has stopped extending medical care for similar reasons.

Consequently, retirees like me (a hypertension/cardiac patient) have to manage food and medical provisions for self, a dependant son and an asthma patient spouse within the commuted pension.

I belong to those APP employees who laid the foundation of this national news agency, and nurtured it with diligence and professional journalistic skills. I put in some four decades of dedicated service to APP, both in war and peace.

Jalil Ahmed
APP’s Ex-Special Correspondent (India)
& Director (ENS)
Karachi

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2014