Zubair Qureshi
Pensioners of Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APPC) are facing financial hardships and woes due to non-payment of their retiring benefits like General Provident Fund including Agency’s contribution and pension and pension benefits, arrears of accrued annual increase etc.
These benefits are safeguarded, guaranteed and protected under the laws and rules.
Some senior retired officials of the APP on Sunday appealed to the Prime Minister of Pakistan to intervene in this urgent matter which relates to the bread and butter of the about 270 pensioners of the APPC.
Former DG of the APP M Aftab urged the PM to direct Secretary, Finance Division and Secretary, Information and Broadcasting to take urgent measures to expedite payment of retiring benefits to the pensioners at an early date.
He said there are two categories of pensioners in the APP: One which is getting monthly pension at the rate of 42.5pc under the 4th Wage Board by a statutory Notification SRO No 1002 (1)/85 published in the Gazette of Pakistan on October 17, 1985.
But they are not being provided medical facilities.
The second type of pensioners is getting their pension at the rate of 70% and medical facilities under the 7th Wage Board Statutory Notification bearing S.R.O. 744 (I)/2001 published on October 25, 2001 in the Gazette of Pakistan.
Though this law is highly discriminatory yet the pensioners under the Fourth Wage Board are even not getting their legal admissible benefits particularly annual accrued increments announced in the federal budget by the Government of Pakistan despite a long and tiresome struggle.
He said that APP was converted into a Corporation called the Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (APPC) under an Ordinance No. 2(1)/2002 published in the Gazette of Pakistan on October 19, 2002. Clause 23 Repeal and savings safeguard protects rights of the APP pensioners. Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan also guarantees the right to life, right to livelihood and fundamental right of its citizens.
The APP in compliance of Apex court orders has decided to pay pension and pension benefits and Provident Fund including Agency’s contribution as retirement benefits to its retiring employees. But it is regretted that APPC is not complying with orders of the Supreme Court which amounts to “ criminal negligence and dereliction of duty “ as held by the Honorable Supreme Court of Pakistan in Civil Appeal No.48 of 2013 vide its judgment Dated 21.02.2013, he said.
