By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: An emergency meeting of the All Pakistan Retired Clerical and Non-Clerical Staff of Habib Bank Limited (HBL) was held at a private hotel, with senior members attending to discuss the longstanding issues and alleged denial of legitimate pensionary and other benefits to retired employees.

The meeting was attended by Iftikhar Khan, Chairman Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Akram Shehzad, Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Zulfiqar, Irfan Haider, Shehzad Butt, Anwar Javed, Azeem Ullah, Mujahid Hussain, Maqsood Ahmed Jiyala, Saeed Bukhari, Anwar Ali and other senior members.

The retired employees appealed to the Honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, the President of Pakistan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan, and the management of Habib Bank Limited to take immediate steps to resolve what they described as longstanding grievances affecting thousands of retired HBL clerical and non-clerical employees, many of whom are now senior citizens.

The participants said that various judgments of the Supreme Court concerning retired employees of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Allied Bank Limited (ABL) and PTCL had addressed pensionary rights and related benefits. They maintained that the fundamental legal principle established through such judgments is that the terms and rules applicable at the time of an employee’s appointment should not be retrospectively altered to the employee’s disadvantage, including following the privatization of an institution.

In light of these legal principles, the retired employees demanded that HBL employees recruited while the bank was under government ownership and who subsequently retired, whether before or after the bank’s privatization in 2005, should be granted 70 percent pension and all other applicable benefits.

They also demanded payment of EOBI pensions, including arrears, and General Insurance Fund benefits, in accordance with applicable rules and court decisions.

The participants further demanded that retired clerical and non-clerical employees who were recruited under the same rules but, allegedly because of administrative pressure, accepted lump-sum pension payments or other benefits should also be considered for their legitimate entitlements. They said the matter should include employees who opted for the Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS), widows of deceased employees and those who were allegedly compelled to retire.

The retired employees further argued that where the Supreme Court has established a legal principle concerning a particular category of pensioners, similarly situated employees may also be entitled to consideration under the same principle if they fulfill the relevant legal criteria.

They appealed to the concerned authorities and HBL management to review the matter on humanitarian and legal grounds and take steps toward resolving the issue without further delay.

“It is the duty to give a worker his rightful due before his sweat dries.” — Hadith

Justice delayed is justice denied.