THE Senate was recently (Oct 4) briefed about the pay and perks that the former chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was paid during his tenure. Regardless of what amount was paid to the said gentleman and what is also being paid to thousands of other retired government personnel, both civil and military, I simply want to point out a disturbing fact. These persons are employed with various government departments on hefty pay packages post-retirement while also drawing their pensions from their respective parent departments; thus getting dual benefits.

If any retired person is rehired, their pensions should be frozen till the completion of post-retirement assignment. At the time of their re-employment, they should be given the option to opt either for the pension or the new pay; but not both.

At least there will be some savings that can be made in the ever ballooning pension budget of the federal and provincial governments.

This is a tall order to implement, because those who are benefiting from these dual perks, of pension and salary, are the ones who make these rules in the first place.

Ayub Malik
Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2022