MORE than seven decades after indep-endence, governments in Pakistan have failed to provide any sense of relief to the general public. Several generations have come and gone hearing the same old argument that Pakistan ‘is passing through a critical phase’ and that the country ‘is facing severe threats’.

Every time a new government assumes power, it starts grumbling about the ‘empty exchequer’, blaming its predecessors for the country’s woes. This is done to dissuade the public from expecting any positive change. While the people continue to live their lives of misery, those in power proceed to fill their own coffers with public funds. This cycle of corruption continues unabated, and there have been no exceptions; not in the last 50 years, at least. The real tragedy is that both the government and the opposition appear to be cut from the same cloth.

Our leaders exploit their positions to increase personal wealth, while the common man, who spends his entire life building institutions, is left with a pittance in the form of a pension from the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI). The common man, after spending his entire life to provide for his family, should not have to survive on a meagre pension of Rs10,000 when the EOBI has billions in funds and investments.

Even the income generated from these investments should be sufficient to increase the pension rate. It is unjust to expect an elderly couple, often riddled with health issues, to survive on such an amount.

The authorities should consider the plight of the hardworking people, and ensure that their pensions are fair and sufficient to meet their needs. It is high time the wealth generated by the people’s contributions was used for their benefit.

Shabbir Ahmed Qureshi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025