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HELPING PENSIONERS - javed - 08-24-2007
On 17 August 2007Jawwad Ali of Muzaffargrah has thanked the Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan for âtaking suo motu notice of the inhumane way in which pensions are distributed to the elderlyâ. However in his second breath that the system pension was devised by the British to humiliate the elderly viz making it mandatory for personal appearance of pensioners even in their extreme old age. He then hopes that the Supreme Court âWillâ be able to provide some such relief. Thus his statement appears to give two impression firstly namely that SC has recently given some relief to pensioners for which he is grateful and secondly he wants further relief ie exemption of personal appearance of pensioners.
I struggled continuously since 1990 at what ever level I could on the subject and but without success and in disappointment then early 2000s I left my struggle. However recently seeing the to much by Mr. Justice Iftikhar Mohamad Chaudhar during his âOn Leaveâ addresses on public litigation Iin my old age I took up a new initiative and has recently a month back addressed the SC on the subject.
I started my struggle in 1990 raising the issue that no single signature account should be opened in the country as due to sudden death of account holder creates a lot of problems. There are thousands of dormant accounts amounting a huge to which there are no claimants as such single signature accounts were opened without the knowledge of family members. After a tough resistance however my proposal had to adopted by inserting it into the new account opening forms emphasizing that joint signature accounts be opened.
Since ADBP, demised NDFC, Post Office and National Savings also opened accounts in 1995 I raised the issue with the Federal Ombudsman that this decision may also be made applicable on these organizations. The Federal Ombudsman refused to entertain my application filed in the larger interest of the community on the ground I was not an aggrieved. A friend of my mind having heart for the ailing community took my typed application, re-typed it under his own name and signature and forwarded it to the Federal Ombudsman. The State Bank in a Hearing in the Ombudsman Secretariat submitted that both Pakistan Post Office and National Savings were not under its jurisdiction. The ombudsman however not agreeing to it saying that matter was of community interest directed the SBP to implement namely two signature accounts. This decision was never implemented.
Chl Shujat during his interim short rule offered a package to senior citizens in shape of free entry into gardens and museums but at the same time off setting its effect by raising the buses fares. The elderly in their age of 60s, 70s, 80s does not need to go to Museums but need more physical rest in home. I re-raised the issue that these elderly in this age can not afford hours waiting at banks, national savings etc by personal presence to sign there should be allowed to have joint account with their sons, daughters, wives etc so that any one could withdraw from the pensioners account. The National Savings in 2005 informed me it can not be done. Even with my own age of 60 with my one eye permanently closed I again got up in the interest of elderly community and approached the Federal Ombudsman that his 1995 decision to SBP for implementation of joint accounts was not implemented by the State Bank. The Ombudsman in return informed me the decision has already been implemented hence no further action. From where the Ombudsman Office got this information it is a mystery since same time National Savings was in writing telling me joint account not allowed and SBP was repeating the same excuse before me that National Savings was not under its jurisdiction. It was totally a contempt but what an ordinary citizen like me can do. I raised this issue humanitarian issue with President of Pakistan when a very funny out come came from Ministry of Law and Justice. It stated that the 1990 decision of the Ombudsman was concerning âSavingâ Accounts where as the Pensionerâs Account of National Savings was not a âSavingsâ Account. The funnies thing is name of the National Savings is National âSavingsâ and all its schemes are âSavingâ Scheme. What a wonderful bureaucracy. As the time passes the physical strength of elderly reduces. My mother 80 plus had her hands shaky and with lot of trouble in Taxi she was used to be taken. Now for the last about one year she is completely in bed even cannot get up from the bed let alone expecting her to sign even on her bed. The unfortunate is the suffering of others for us are good for reading and debating unless we ourselves become one day a news. About 15 years back a decision was made to remove disparity between new and old pensioners. The secretary who put up Summary advising the Government to appeal against it according to press then was getting Rs. 120,000 a month rent only from his one Bungalow in Islamabad. He never needs to go to any National Savings personally now in his retired age hence why any sympathy for elderly in his heart. I may reiterate here I am above 60 but I am not getting any sort of pension. I am doing all this just for elderly. I wrote hundreds of letters to so called NGO, helplines, so called senior citizens associations/forums during all these years never ever to get even an acknowledgment.
Through your esteem I wish to request Jawwad Ali or any reader to know which decision of SC he was referring to and thanking the SC? Is it any recent decision and on what topic this decision actually is. Will some body through this space help in knowing exact details of said SC decision, if there is any.