Court Irked After Punjab Chief Secretary Hints at Possible Future Pension Shutdown in Group Insurance Case
Lahore: The Lahore High Court expressed strong displeasure after the Punjab Chief Secretary warned that pension payments might become unsustainable in the future. The remarks came during the hearing of a case regarding the non-payment of group insurance to Punjab government employees during their lifetime.
According to *Dunya News*, a three-member full bench headed by Justice Shujaat Ali Khan heard the case. The Punjab Chief Secretary and Advocate General Amjad Pervez appeared before the court in compliance with earlier orders.
Petitioners’ counsel, Naushab A. Khan, argued that government employees in other provinces receive group insurance benefits during their lifetime, but in Punjab, “employees must die to become eligible.” He said this legal flaw violates fundamental rights and requested the court to order lifetime payment of group insurance.
During the proceedings, the Chief Secretary stated that his office would reassess the issue and submit a fresh report, adding that the pension burden had become so heavy that “it is possible pensions may have to be discontinued in a few years.”
Justice Shujaat Ali Khan responded sharply, remarking that the Chief Secretary seemed to be “threatening even the court” by suggesting judges too might lose their pensions. “Whatever happens to us, we will think of the public,” he said. Justice Sultan Tanvir added that the Chief Secretary himself appeared worried about his own pension.
The bench reiterated that the court’s proceedings aim to improve conditions for the province and its employees. “The country and the system cannot function without employees,” the judges said, noting that three provinces already provide these benefits, and the federal government is also partially agreeable. Advocate General Amjad Pervez acknowledged that “nothing is possible without employees.”
The court instructed the Chief Secretary to prepare practical and workable proposals and submit a detailed report.
The Lahore High Court then adjourned the hearing on the petition seeking lifetime group insurance benefits for Punjab government employees.
