ISLAMABAD: Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of Finance and Revenue, made it clear on Sunday that there would be no double pension for public employees in the Grades 17–22 category.
Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, the minister for water resources, raised a concern, and the minister responded by stating that the restriction would not apply to government employees below Grade 17, as there have been instances where employees have retired after 15-20 years of service and started new jobs. The minister said that because the policy started at the top, if some employees (Grades 17 through 22) continued to work on a contract basis after retirement, they would have to choose a pension that suited them.
He emphasized that this was an old issue that should have been resolved earlier, which the incumbent government had started to redress.
Ishaq Dar mentioned that there was no specific timeframe for pension payments to the dependents of retired employees and widows after their passing. However, this has now been limited to 10 years.
He stressed that such reforms were crucial because the pension budget had reached Rs 800 billion, which was nearly 50 percent less than the current figure a few years back. He warned that without these reforms, it would become unsustainable for the country.
Addressing concerns raised by Ghous Bux Khan Mahar of the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) regarding the withdrawal of the urea subsidy, the minister stated that the government aimed to promote local fertilizer production and achieve self-sufficiency in this sector.
He mentioned that several Pakistani companies were planning to invest over $200 million in the urea production sector.
He assured the House that the challenges faced by the agriculture sector, considered the backbone of the national economy, would be addressed in due course of time through mutual consultation with all stakeholders.
