It’s tough

The case upon which I am going to write is the one which has been raised several times. Many people have talked about the plight of EOBI pensioners who are receiving a meagre amount of pension income. Back in April 2015, the pension amount was slightly raised to Rs5,250. Since then, there has been no change in the amount. The adverse effects of inflation on purchasing power are not unknown. In our country, the prices of essential commodities are increasing at an unprecedented pace. Under such circumstances, the Rs5,250 pension amount is insufficient to meet monthly expenses.

Although last year the government increased the pension of federal retired employees by 10 percent, it completely ignored EOBI pensioners. The government also fixed the minimum salary of labourers at Rs13,000. The decision invited the appeal of EOBI pensioners who requested the government to increase their pension to the same level. However, all these pleas fell on deaf ears. It is unfortunate that even parliamentarians never raised this issue. Although the SC is hearing the case of EOBI pensioners, the wait is too long. It is hoped that the authorities will take notice of the plight of these pensioners who have spent their entire life in contributing towards the betterment of the country.

Bashir Abid

Islamabad