ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered immediate payment of family pension to the widow of Rab Nawaz, an employee of Wapda. Taking up an application by Khurshid Bibi, a resident of Lakki Marwat, a bench of the Supreme Court ordered the Wapda chairman to appear before it.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry and Justice Mohammed Nawaz Abbasi, disposed of the application while directing the authorities concerned to pay all pensionary benefits to the complainant immediately.

Advocate Sheikh Zamir Hussain appeared before the court for the Wapda chairman. He informed the bench that 80 per cent of the pension amounting to Rs6.6 million had been paid to the complainant. Due to some audit objection, 20 per cent of the pensionary benefits had been retained, which shall be paid in due course of time, he added.

The court observed that the widow was not responsible for the removal of the audit objection and directed the Wapda authorities to release the remaining 20 per cent pensionary benefits within seven days.

The complainant had stated in her application that despite a lapse of more than five years, she had failed to get family pension.

She had alleged that the chief executive and officers of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company were delaying release of her dues on the pretext of audit objection.—APP