Retired employees seek timely release of pensions

PESHAWAR: The retired professors, administrative officers and other employees have urged the government and the universities’ administrations to ensure the timely release of their pensions, an increase in accordance with budgetary announcements and the resolution of other problems faced by retired employees.

They had gathered at a function arranged by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Retired Employees Coordination Council here on Friday.

The function was attended by a large number of former employees from various universities. Several former vice-chancellors, deans, registrars, and other senior officials were present at the event.

Former vice-chancellor of multiple universities, Prof Dr Ihsan Ali, former vice-chancellor of the University of Peshawar and ex-head of the Islamic Ideology Council, Prof Dr Qibla Ayaz and former vice-chancellor of the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Peshawar, Prof Dr Noor Mohammad, were the key hosts and main speakers on the occasion.

Dr Ihsan Ali welcomed the guests and shed light on the purpose of the association for retired employees.

He said that the association served as the best forum for retired professors and other employees to come together, share ideas, struggle for the resolution of issues they face, and work towards the uplift of the declining standard of higher education in the province.

Dr Ihsan Ali said that the policies of successive governments indicated that education had never been a priority. He added that retired employees were facing numerous challenges, the most pressing being the years-long delay in the issuance of their provident funds and the timely release of their pensions.

He pointed out that universities had been unable to increase pensions following the government’s budgetary announcements.

Dr Ihsan Ali emphasized that the pension issue did not affect all universities in the province. Only the older universities-University of Peshawar, Islamia College University, UET Peshawar, Agriculture University Peshawar, and Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan-had retired employees and thus a responsibility to pay pensions.

He stated that the lack of funds should not be used as an excuse to delay pensions. Pension, he reiterated, is not a privilege but a right of retired employees who contributed to pension funds through salary deductions during their service.

Dr Ihsan Ali insisted that it was not a shortage of funds but mismanagement by the quarters concerned that was responsible for the delayed payments. He urged the government to take immediate action to resolve the issue. He also called on university administrations to address the matter on a priority basis and to ensure that funds are distributed proportionally.

Dr Qibla Ayaz asked the former employees not to compromise on their integrity, but to continue their struggle for their rights in a dignified manner.

He stated that they would persist in fighting for their rights through logical means and would also strive for the improvement of higher education in the province, particularly the deteriorating state of public sector universities.

Dr Qibla Ayaz announced that they would soon hold an “Education Jirga” to discuss the issues facing universities and retired employees.

Prof Dr Noor Mohammad said there was no shortage of resources in the province or the country, but education had never been treated as a priority by the government.

He said that, as a professor and former vice-chancellor, he was not concerned about his own pension. However, he expressed concern that the majority of retired employees were receiving only the minimum pension, which made it difficult for them to make ends meet. The universities should resolve their problems on an urgent and priority basis, he said.