PENSIONERS of Pakistan State Oil are being deprived by the management of the annual pension increase which was due on July 1, 2016. Till 2014-15 we had regularly received yearly increases in accordance with the directives of the Federal Ombudsman.

The two unresolved core issues are: the absence of an announcement regarding retired pensioners/widows for the pension due on July 1, 2016; the failure to increase widows’ pension from 50 per cent to 75pc with effect from July 1, 2010 as approved by the President of Pakistan.

The bigwigs of the present PSO management enjoy exorbitant remuneration and benefits, while the retired pensioners, who devoted the golden era of their lives to the PSO and are its true builders are given a step-motherly treatment — the holding back of their annual increases for more than eight months is just one example, along with other grievances.

We are of the view that this abnormal delay in the finalisation of our yearly increase in pensions by the present management is tantamount to a contempt of the Supreme Court of Pakistan judgement of Feb 21, 2013 in civil appeal No.48 of 2013, wherein the Chief Justice directed: “We also direct that in future if there is any delay in finalisation of the pension benefit cases of government servants, widows or orphan children and the matter is brought to the notice of this court, the head of the concerned department shall also be held liable for the contempt of the court and shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with law.”

In light of the above, we appeal to the chief justice of the Supreme Court to take suo motu action and issue directives to the PSO’s Managing Director, the Chief Executive and the ministry of petroleum to immediately resolve our problem.

Javed Ahsan Lodhi

Chief of PSO Pensioners Welfare Association

Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2017