CHEATING orphans, widows and the elderly has always been condemned. Is cheating frail and feeble pensioners very different? When pay cheques stop, the pensioners are in dire straits. To ease their financial pressures, most organisations allow them a small loan which is recovered by deducting half their pensions, for the first 10 years of retirement.

These organisations, comprising government and non-government entities, banks, armed forces, without exception, restore full pensions promptly after 10 years of retirement, but the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is the lone exception.

PIA does deduct half the pension immediately on retirement. But when it comes to restoring full pension after 10 years, the organisation is hit by some strange memory loss. In fact, all PIA pensioners are cheated down to their graves, drawing only half pension. This is unbelievable, but true.

After retiring from the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), many high-ranking officers join the airline in positions of authority. We have had seven air marshals who have served as the PIA chairman. Their own pensions are restored the instant they complete 10 years of retirement from the PAF, but they cannot see this glaring injustice to PIA retirees. When the subject does come up, they usually start discussing the weather.

The employees ‘unions’ abandoned the pensioners a long time ago. The pilots’ union, in fact, has withdrawn the voting rights. Even that little leverage is taken away.

For the comparative youngsters who control things, ‘retirement’ lies way off somewhere in the distant future. To give thought to an issue which goes even beyond 10 years of ‘retirement’ is obviously a waste of time. Their concerns are on the more recent issues that are relevant to their own selves. Why should they waste time on these frail old-timers?

I retired with ‘full benefits’ on April 2, 1982. On this April 2, I completed 40 years of retirement — on half my pension of course. God bless PIA and the unions.

Capt Afaq Rizvi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2022