THE revised pension scheme for fresh government employees has recently been the talk of the town. The government has come under severe criticism in this regard. The ordinary family pension has been limited to 10 years. This is critical as widows and children of deceased employees largely depend on the pension to survive. As a consequence, the financial as well as psychological toll on the family will be unbearable.

The decision seems to have come in a hurry without considering all possible consequences. The government could have handled the situation in a much better way by cutting down on its extravagant expen-diture that is incurred unnecessarily.

The size of federal as well as provincial cabinets keeps expanding, while foreign tours and VIP protocols continue to be a massive drain on resources. Amid all this, the government wants to burden people who are just about surviving.

That being so, there is every reason for the government to revisit the issue, and take a practical as well as logical approach to handling the many issues that are afflicting the national economy.

Kaleem Ahmed
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2024