PESHAWAR: Scores of medical professors in provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been awaiting their pension and gratuity despite retirement from government service few months ago.

The consultants, including paediatricians, urologists, gynaecologists, psychiatrists, dermatologists, physicians, orthopaedics and surgeons have appealed to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi to ensure that they get their pension at the earliest as after retirement they face financial hardships in meeting their daily expenses.

In a letter, former faculty members of medical teaching institutions (MTIs) including Khyber Teaching Hospital, Lady Reading Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex have pointed out what they term illegal delay in pension despite serving as doctors for about 38 years, saving lives of patients, teaching students and imparting training to medics pursuing specialisations.

“Pensions, a right guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. Now, at this age, most of us cannot do any other job and are completely dependent on pension,” says the letter.

Former faculty members of LRH, KTH and HMC term the delay illegal

It says that health and finance departments have been using delaying tactics to withhold their lawful pension and commutation. “Our cases are being kept pending for months and years without any legal justification. This is happening despite clear evidence that about 100 of our senior colleagues have been getting pension,” it adds.

The letter says that ‘this discriminatory’ treatment is not only unlawful but also against the decisions of Supreme Court of Pakistan and Peshawar High Court. “This act is against all norms of justice, humanity and law,” it says.

A notification issued by finance department in 2022 had categorically mentioned that pension was not a bounty but a right of retired government servants.

It stated that under existing relevant laws, all administrative and teaching staffers recruited by management council in prescribed manner under the repealed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical and Health Institution and Regulation of Health Care Services Ordinance, 2002, were treated as civil servants at the time of promulgation of Medical Teaching Institutions Reforms Act (MTIRA), 2015.

Since promulgation of MTIRA 2015, these employees are now treated as institutional employees and the provincial government will provide benefits of pension to them for the entire period of service i.e. civil service before the commencement of MTIRA 2015 and institutional employment period after commencement of MT Act 2015, according to provincial government pension rules through the office of Accountant General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It said that there was no need of pension contribution by MTIs for those employees and the whole pension would be given by government.

It said that provincial government would provide benefits of pension to those civil servants, who opted for MTI services, for the period during which they served as civil servants according to provincial government pension rules through the office of Accountant General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

For the period after promulgation of MTIRA 2015, when they no longer remained civil servants, MTIs should deposit pension contribution on their behalf as per their rules and regulations, said the notification.

It said that government would provide benefits of pension to those civil servants, who were on deputation in MTIs, for the entire period of service spent as civil servant on deputation in the respective MTIs, according to provincial government pension rules through the office of Accountant General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“Pension of the employees hired by MTIs after promulgation of MTI Act, shall be the responsibility of the respective MTIs,” it said.

The notification said that verification of service and pay of MTI employees for the period spent as civil servants and as institutional employees should be decided by a committee constituted in health department with representation of Accountant General Office. “The committee shall dispose of each individual case within a fortnight and the respective MTIs shall send their cases,” it said.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2026