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+--- Thread: AFFECTED ARE CLERKS, PEONS, SOLDIERS PENSIONERS, (/thread-affected-are-clerks-peons-soldiers-pensioners)
AFFECTED ARE CLERKS, PEONS, SOLDIERS PENSIONERS, - javed - 07-11-2006
Mr. Hafizur Rehman in his latest column âComabting old ageâ has narrated very beautifully the real facts a retired person faces. He narrates how for a retired it is difficult to cut the time and how how he needs about Rs. 2000 at an average a month in this age whereas his income drastically has gone down. He also compares the retired life of a western pensioner compared to one of our region. He says Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad Senior Citizens Convention announced many âbeautifulâ incentives for senior citizens one of which was free entry to Gardens. Mr. Hafizur Rehman says entry into the gardens was free.
Entry into the gardens was of course free then but not now. One of the ingredient about our booming economy about which almost every day we hear on TV, is levy of entry fees into the gardens in big cities by the local governments elected by the locals. Such levies and taxes are the real incomes which have increased our national exchequer figures.
A citizen Abdul Razzaq Siddiqui of Karachi a few months back complained that he was 78 years old sick and blind. He explained how troublesome it is for him to be taken every month to National Savings Center where it takes hours, no sitting facilities, how costly getting proper transport for old and above all one relative is required to take one day off from the office to accompany. He wondered why an authorized representative can not attend and withdraw from his pensioners investment account.
This particular issue during the last four years I do not remember eaxtly how many times I have addressed to every senator, MNA or a Minister I thought holds a remotest public spirit never to get any response. I addressed the President and the Prime Minister to meet the same fate. I address many so called NGOs raised on slogans of senior citizens never ever to get any response. Perhaps existence of all such NGOs is in drawing rooms. The NGO headed by Col (Rtd) Riaz Jafri only acknowledged me the receipt for never to follow up the issue later. Another senior citizens NGO of Islamabad informed me ahat the matter had already been solved by the National Savings whereas interestingly the National Savings says the issued raised cannot be accepted to. At least twice in the past addressed this issue to any leading English newspapers of my beloved Pakistan but non had space for this foolish idea.
It must first be understand that miseries of others are only a news for us unless we ourselves become a news. A few years back a retired officer in Lahore killed himself jumping from fourth floor of his own ex office. Reason was his own ex-colleagues for the last many months still had not prepared his pension papers. He tasted the same medicine which he was giving to others when those retired visited him for their pension.
The interim government of Ch. Choudhary Shujat for the first time officially recognized that in this old age a retired person becomes physically weak and needs some comfort at home. But what he practically did was nothing except free entry to Zoos and âmerely in booksâ respect for senior citizens. In 1990 on my petition terming it a humanitarian issue raised by the citizen petitioner the then Federal Ombudsman directed the demised Pakistan Banking Council that in future there would be joint accounts in the Banks. The national newspapers wrote editorials praising this decision. In 1995 a Lahore citizen raised the same issue that decision should also be applicable to National Savings and Pakistan Post Office who also deal with similar accounts. State Bank of Pakistan resisted the proposal that it had no jurisdiction over these two departments. The Federal Ombudsman however terming that the issue was important and of public interest directed the SBP to implement it. National Savings and Pakistan Post Office never implemented and did not allow pensioner investors to have joint accounts in pension accounts. My mother is 80. She is picked up every month on Taxi with taxi meter always not working and with her trembling hands she is to scribble her signature in the Center which are even then not recognized.
During the last 5 years I have struggled hard that old pensioners should have the right to open a joint pension account with National Savings. Having failed to get any headway from any other sector early 2005 I raised the issue once again with the Federal Ombudsman which was the last ray of hope for me. The dealing officer from Ombudsman Secretariat informed me that the decision (opening of joint accounts) was already implemented!! On the other hand however the same SBP whom in 1995 the Ombudsman directed to implement was telling me that the National Savings and Postal Department were not under its control which in other words mean it never attended to or cared for 1995 Federal Ombudsman Order. This is a contempt in my view by SBP and lack of any public spirit by the officer concerned. Late 2005 as the law required I addressed His Excellency the President of Pakistan as an Appeal against the summary disposal by the dealing officer in the ombudsman secretariat.
The issue relates to the masses and does not affects the legislators, ministers or the senior bureaucracy as they do not need drawing pension monthly nor do they need to attend to National Savings personally as they are to withdrawn through credit cards, voice banking hence I do not have any remotest hope that someone will listen to this very genuine cry. Remember the senior bureaucrat who advised the Government of the time not to implement the Federal Ombudsman decision about removal of disparity in pension between new and old and advised the government to go in appeal. On his retirement as per a news item he is getting Rs. 1.20 lacs monthly just a rent from his one rented bungalow. So why should this category need any pension or attending to National Savings? National Savings, as I understand takes the shelter that a son, a wife or a daughter cannot be allowed as a joint signatory with an old pensioner investor as this facility could be misused. It is totally un-logical similarly as National Savings had some other rules not existing elsewhere in the world. For example once, I was told that within the same city transfer of an account was not allowed. When I took up the matter an argument of really no sense came that within the same city transfer there was a âriskâ involved while transfer from one city to another city was safe. There is no logic in National savings refusal in not allowing joint account to the pensioners. There are many techniques one can by passing such a foolish rule invest in so called pensioners accounts but the point is lack of normal human sympathies and spirit of welfare of the people particularly sick old aged retired.
I wonder if the learned columnist Mr. Hafizur Rehman would like to touch this subject and put some words in the skulls of those who matter.