MY husband, a BS-16 officer of the FBR/Inland Revenue Services, while working in the Regional Tax Office, Karachi, died at the age of 39 on Aug 27 last. He left behind a widow, an infant daughter and two schoolgoing sons.

According to the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s judgement, all cases of pensions are to be decided within three months from the date of retirement. As for the cases of widows, their family pensions cases are to be decided immediately.

In my case I applied for the family pension and submitted papers to the FBR. I was told that as my husband had died after June 2014, my family pension is to be calculated on the basis of ‘Assistance package for the families of government employees who died in service’, as announced by the prime minister on Oct 20 last.

Unfortunately, the finance division, disagreeing with the PM, has suggested drastic downward changes, and the file at present is the victim of the red-tape.

Now my family, having no source of income, is going through financial tribulations. The family package announced by the PM has instead of lessening difficulties created more for the families of government servants who expired while in service.

For more than six months I have been running from pillar to the post but could not get my pension on the old-system basis or on the basis of the PM’s package.

Mahik Arshad

Hyderabad

Published in Dawn March 4th , 2015

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