The Supreme Court on Tuesday, while hearing a case involving corruption worth billions of rupees in the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), held the government partially responsible for the alleged corrupt practices being carried out in the institution.

The apex court turned its focus to the government, saying "those accused of corruption [in the case] were appointed by the government, and hence the government has to answer for them."

Hearing a petition filed by 70 disgruntled pensioners, Justice Azmat Saeed Shaikh summoned the advocate generals of all the four provinces along with the vice-prosecutor to the next hearing and demanded that all of EOBI's financial documents be presented before the court for scrutiny.

Apart from addressing the matter of overdue and insufficient pension payments, the court is also looking to settle the Rs44 billion corruption scandal that plagues EOBI, for which its ex-chief Zafar Gondal was arrested in September 2014.

"We do not want reports — we want this case resolved," Justice Saeed said, frustrated over the sluggish progress of the case.

In light of the exorbitant amount of money allegedly embezzled, Justice Maqbool Baqir remarked: "It is cruel that people who have worked for 35 years get only Rs5,000 in pension."

Holding the government responsible for corruption, Justice Saeed said; "It is the government that appointed officers who engaged in corrupt practices, manipulating property prices and buying-selling between a selection of chosen people."

"What is the pensioners' fault in all this?" he asked.

Justice Saeed lamented that it was the government's failure "that even after six years of the 18th Amendment being passed, the fate of EOBI is still hanging in the balance."

EOBIs departure from the federal to the provincial domain has been marred with legal hang-ups, with some critics positing that in order for Pakistan to stay in line with the various international conventions on labour rights, it would be necessary for EOBI to remain in the federal government's domain.

Explore: EOBI fails to complete projects despite SC order

Justice Saeed also directed the Treasury Department to release pending pensions at the earliest and warned that if the department failed to do so, its funding could be blocked by an order of the apex court.

The corruption scandal had rocked EOBI after all of its board members were sent packing after being nominated in a case regarding alleged corruption in the institution.

EOBI, established in 1976 during the PPP regime, operates under a mechanism whereby government employees pay a percentage of their salary each month to the body, which is in turn responsible for remunerating them upon retirement. EOBI is also authorised to invest money in order to increase its capital.

Explore: High rate of bails in corruption cases irks Nisar

A court official present at the hearing informed the bench that documents pertaining to the transfer of EOBI to the provincial domain, following the 18th Amendment, had been passed on to the prime minister's office. EOBI's status after the passing of 18th Amendment has been a major source of delay in the proceedings of this trial.

The case has been adjourned until May 11.