ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was informed on Wednesday of sweeping reforms in the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), including a shift to using Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) to verify pensioners’ ages and an upcoming pension increase effective May 1.
In a session chaired by Junaid Akbar, PAC reviewed audit findings related to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis. The most alarming revelation came from audit officials who reported that EOBI had distributed Rs2.79 billion to 5,131 ineligible or fake pensioners.
The audit report highlighted that, out of roughly 800,000 pensioners, over 5,000 were found to have discrepancies in their age documentation. In numerous cases, individuals received pensions despite not meeting the minimum age requirement—60 for men and 55 for women—due to manipulated or conflicting records between their CNICs and matriculation certificates.
To address the fraud, EOBI officials stated that the institution will now use NADRA’s CNIC data as the sole reference for determining a beneficiary’s age. The EOBI chairman emphasized the importance of standardizing the verification process and confirmed that the policy shift would prevent future misuse.
EOBI currently manages a fund of Rs600 billion and oversees pensions for registered workers from approximately 10 million businesses nationwide. All businesses employing at least 10 workers are mandated to register with EOBI.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis reiterated the government’s commitment to reform and confirmed that the new CNIC-based verification system will be implemented immediately. He also announced a pension increase scheduled to take effect from May 1.
In response, PAC chair Junaid Akbar called for the establishment of consistent and transparent criteria for verifying pension eligibility. The committee has directed the ministry to investigate the issue thoroughly and submit a detailed report within a month. The ministry has requested the same period to address and correct the discrepancies.
