Radio Pakistan: Despite PM Shehbaz’s 48 hours deadline Radio’s retired employees did not get pension
ISLAMABAD: Despite the order of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, thousands of retired employees of Radio Pakistan did not get pension.
“Since April this year we are waiting for the payment of our pension,” a retired official told The Truth International on Friday.
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Radio Pakistan Peshawar office which the PTI arsonists ransacked on May 9.
During his visit, PM Shehbaz promised with Radio employees and retired persons about the payment of their salaries and pension within two/three days.
However, till Friday (June 2), thousands of retired employees are waiting for their pension. Also, the present employees are getting salary in bit and pieces.
Waiting for pension since april 2023
“Since April we did not get our pension,” a former executive level staff member of Radio Pakistan said.
He said, “A large number of Radio Pakistan’s serving and retired employees are facing problems in getting their salaries/pensions regularly for over a year period.”
They are exposed to serious financial problems in the wake of prevailing highest inflation, he added.
PM’s 48 hours deadline missed
Last week, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had visited Peshawar Radio Station where the employees informed him about their problems.
The PM gave 48 hours deadline to the authorities concerned for payment and outstanding salary and pension. But nothing has happened till today.
“The Secretary Finance Ministry has thrown a bomb on 4000+ retired employees. He said that ‘payment of pension’ is not the responsibility of the government,” a pensioner said.
Will the honorable prime minister and the Information Minister look into the problem of Radio Pakistan?
This is the question thousands of retired employees are asking to one another. They are also looking towards the government to get salaries and pension on time.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.