THIS is apropos of the letters entitled ‘Court judgment of pension’ and ‘Why the discrimination’ ( Nov 4 and Dec 5) respectively by A. Raoof and Chowdhury Walidad. Both are concerned with the procurement of financial benefits on the commuted pension (50 per cent part of the total pension). The pension commutation system was introduced for both federal and provincial government employees.

It operated until 2001 when it was abolished. We know that the retirement age of government servants is 60 years and the commutation of half of the pension was for a period of 15 years. It, therefore, required a minimum of 75 years of age for the entitlement of benefits of the commuted pension. To guide the readers, a few more references related to the case include: (1). Federal Service Tribunal judgment 15.12.2011, (2) pension case — Nawa-i-Waqt, Lahore -- 25.4.2012, (3) review petition filed by the attorney general -- 26.5.2012.

All the petitions concerning the case were based on the plea that the pensioners received increments from time to time on the 50 per cent of the non-commuted money though it remained in total custody of the government for as long as 15 years.

The commuted and non-commuted pension money which comes to 50:50 per cent must have been given equal benefits. Logically, this would entitle the government pensioners to ‘cumulative pension’ which would come to almost the double of their existing pension.

According to references quoted above, the Lahore High Court, as well as the Supreme Court, has clearly issued orders for paying the ‘cumulative pension’ to the aged retired government employees.

In this connection Justice Khan of the Lahore High Court had ordered the Special Secretary, Finance, of Punjab to pay government pensioners complete amount of the ‘cumulative pension’ and submit the report before the court by Sept 27, 2012.

It has come to the notice of pensioners that the ‘cumulative pension’, which comes to almost double of the existing pension, is already being paid to a number of retired government officers. It is, therefore, requested that the federal government may kindly issue clear orders regarding the implementation of the ‘cumulative pension’ so that delays, anomalies and injustices may be avoided. This would ensure a fair play and further strengthen confidence in the present government.

Lastly, Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, as well as heads of the concerned ministry, is requested to help the pensioners in the uniform implementation of the court judgments for the payment of ‘cumulative pension’ without further delays.

DR S. IFTIKHAR AHMED Karachi