LAHORE: The provincial finance department on Monday undertook before the Lahore High Court that the pending amount of pension would be immediately released to 36 pensioners who had filed petitions before the court, while rest of the pensions would be given within a period of one year.

The finance secretary told the LHC chief justice that a summary had been sent to the Accountant General’s office for the release of funds to the tune of

Rs10 billion. He said the petitioners would receive pension arrears without any delay, while rest of the pensioners would start receiving the arrears from July.

The chief justice was hearing a contempt of court petition moved by 36 pensioners against non-compliance of the court’s order regarding payment of the pension.

Senior advocate Hafiz Tariq Nasim represented the petitioners.

In light of the secretary’s undertaking, the chief justice disposed of the petition.

The petitioners, at the time of their retirement, had got their pension commuted to 40 per cent, while the remaining sum was supposed to be restored after 10 years.

They complained that the government was not restoring their remaining 60pc pension despite several years had passed of the 10-year limit.

The government had been taking a plea that billions of rupees were required for the payment of the arrears to the pensioners. The court had rejected the plea and also directed the government to ensure payments to the pensioners without delay.

Published in Dawn January 24th, 2017