ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday held that employees transferred from Telephone and Telegraph (T&T) to Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation and subsequently to the PTCL retain their right to pension benefits.

By a majority of two to one, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi observed that while these employees ceased to be civil servants, the statutory framework governing their transfer safeguarded their pension entitlements in full.

The three-judge bench had taken up a set of appeals against multiple judgements of high courts on the pension entitlement of the employees of erstwhile T&T.

The judgement, supported by Justice Aminuddin Khan, stated that the PTCL and Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Trust are duty-bound to ensure the full measure of these entitlements is met.

Justice Ayesha Malik dissented, allowing PTCL/PTET’s appeals and denying claims for federal parity in pensions.

The court’s decision has significant implications for the pension rights of thousands of employees who were transferred from government departments to state-owned enterprises.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025