Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice reprimanded Finance Department and Accountant General (AG) of Punjab for asking pensioners for further verification to receive arrears of their pension on Friday. CJ LHC directed the AG and Finance Department to submit complete details of the pensioners along with their computerised record on next hearing. The departments were also ordered to submit mode of the payment of the arrears to the pensioners.
Earlier representing the pensioners advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada told the court that the government, under a court order, was bond to disburse arrears of Rs 9 billion among the pensioners by December 31. He said not a single penny had been paid to the pensioners yet.
Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah expressed serious dismay when counsel of the AG office stated that the pensioners had not applied for the arrears so far. The lawyer said the office would first verify the cases of the pensioners following their applications.
The chief justice observed as to why the pensioners were required to file separate applications to claim their arrears whereas the AG office maintained their complete record and adjourned the proceedings with necessary directions.