Civilized nations and governments ruling the state with the mandate of the people invariably show great respect for their senior citizens and take all possible steps to make their lives comfortable as a token of appreciation for the services that they rendered in the development of their countries. They are extended multiple privileges that reflect the commitment of the nation to look after their welfare in consonance with tenets of social justice. They take pride in their commitment and ability to ensure a productive and dignified life for their aging populations. No wonder that some UN Conventions and charters adopted by international organizations also put great emphasis on keeping the elderly people in good stead.
The major privilege and state patronage of the senior citizens, particularly those who have been government servants during their life, is the pension that is given to them to ensure that in their old age they are able to survive with dignity and respect.
The inequitable disposition of the government towards pensioners, makes a fit case for suo motu notice by the Supreme Court. It affects millions of pensioners across the country and qualifies as a matter of public interest. The pensioners may not be in a position to hire a lawyer to plead their case in the court of law. Therefore the CJ should take suo motu notice of this injustice and discrimination against senior citizens of the country
The PDM government and its component parties probably do not believe in showing respect to the senior citizens as is evident from the discriminatory treatment meted out to the pensioners in the just announced budget. While the government servants in grade 1-16 have been provided 35 percent increase in their salaries and from grade 17-22 favoured with 30 percent raise, the pensioners have been shown charity with only 17.5 percent enhancement in their pensions. What a shame!
It is difficult to understand the logic behind this unusual callousness. Does the government think that the pensioners have not been affected to the same extent by the snowballing inflation as have been the serving government employees? Does it think that the pensioners live in a different world where they are immune from the debilitating impact of the unusual increase in the cost of living? Are the pensioners children of a lesser God or second-rate citizens? The government has surely shown criminal insensitivity to their plight by giving them a raw deal. People were actually expecting a higher rate of relief for the pensioners than the serving government servants. The Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, who never tire of pronouncing their benign credentials laced with the resolve for fairness to all segments of the society from every convenient roof-top, have acted contrary to their claims.
Their decision to add to the miseries of the pensioners and senior citizens deserves the harshest possible condemnation. What the government has done is unfair, against the norms of social justice and also constitutes a breach of Articles of the constitution which prescribe and emphasize equality of citizens.
Unfortunately in spite of the tall claims of the PDM government, it has miserably failed to come up to the expectations of the masses. Its style of governance and management of the economy leaves much to be desired. People rightly feel disillusioned with their performance. It has now antagonized millions of pensioners as well those who constitute a significant proportion of the voters. Pledges and tall claims do not fill the bellies of the people. Hearts and minds of the people cannot be won through hollow slogans. It becomes even more painful when the government policies assume the hue of discrimination. The government is better advised to reconsider the issue in the light of the ground realities with a tinge of compassion to avoid negative fallout.
It is pertinent to point out that in the past all the governments have invariably treated the serving government employees and pensioners at par in regards to raise in their salaries and pensions. PPP government during 2008-13 stands out in regards to enhancement in the salaries and pensions and treating them both fairly in conformity with norms of social justice and the legal obligations of the ruling government. The PTI government also kept that principle in view in their budgets for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22. Only the PDM government enjoys the dubious distinction of treating the government servants and pensioners in different ways. In the budget for 2022-23 while the government employees were given a 15 percent raise the pensioners were dismissed with only a five percent increase. In the current budget the same prejudicial ploy has been employed for pensioners.
The disposition of the PDM and PML(N) government towards pensioners and iys insensitivity to the problems of old age is indeed unparalleled in the financial history of Pakistan. There is no escape from the reality that the economy of Pakistan is in a pretty bad way. There are also no two opinions about the fact that the snowballing inflation has hit all the segments of the society really hard, more so the salaried class and the pensioners. But there is no justification whatever to make discriminatory decisions. If the government felt that it was facing an acute financial crunch it could have announced a uniform increase of 25 percent percent in the salaries and pensions of all grades, meeting the demands of social justice as well as the principle of equality of all citizens.
The inequitable disposition of the government towards pensioners, makes a fit case for suo motu notice by the Supreme Court. It affects millions of pensioners across the country and qualifies as a matter of public interest. The pensioners may not be in a position to hire a lawyer to plead their case in the court of law. Therefore the CJ should take suo motu notice of this injustice and discrimination against senior citizens of the country.
