MAJOR issues affecting PIA retirees have yet to be given priority and resolved, in particular, the need to substantially increase pensions.

Such an increase would not affect PIA’s revenues, as the funds would come from the Pension Trust Fund.

A delegation from the PIA Retired Employees Association met PIA’s CEO recently to discuss these issues.

The CEO assured the delegation that these issues, particularly increasing pensions, would be addressed at the coming meeting of the PIA’s board of directors.

However, it was strange to note that this issue was not brought up at the meeting.

PIA’s circular No. 21/2003 states that PIA pensions are to be increased accordingly whenever employees’ salaries increase.

However, the management has failed to implement this. In the last 12 years, PIA’s first and last pension increase was made effective as of April 1, 2013.

The increase was utterly insufficient to live on, considering the already meagre amount pensioners receive.

PIA retirees should at once be given their legal rights, including adequate increase in their pensions, to face high inflation.

Mohammad Khan Sial
Publicity Secretary, PIA Retired Employees Association Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2017