Retired employees of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) have expressed serious concern over the non-payment of pensions and the application of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to existing pensioners, terming the move contrary to the Federal Government’s policy.
According to the PSB Retired Pensioners Action Committee, retired employees had been receiving pensions regularly since 2006 without any objection or adverse observation from any competent forum, including the Auditor General of Pakistan, commercial auditors, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC).
The committee stated that the long-standing pension arrangement had remained in place for nearly two decades after approval by the General Body and Executive Committee of the PSB. The then Ministry of Sports had also issued a Gazette Notification for the purpose.
In its 34th Board Meeting, the PSB Board approved implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme in accordance with the Federal Government’s policy with effect from July 1, 2025. Under the arrangement, monthly deductions at the rate of 10 per cent of basic pay are being made from serving employees, while existing pensioners are contributing at the prescribed rate, to be enhanced to 20 per cent upon attaining the age of 72 years.
The pensioners, however, maintain that the Federal Government’s policy clearly provides that the Contributory Pension Scheme shall apply only to employees appointed on a regular basis on or after July 1, 2024. They said deductions had also been imposed on existing PSB pensioners, effectively applying the scheme retrospectively.
They said the decision had caused serious concern among retired employees, who believe the policy was never intended to affect those who had already retired on reaching the age of superannuation before its implementation.
The Action Committee further said the situation had become more distressing due to the re-appropriation of third and fourth quarter grants by the Ministry of IPC for release of funds to the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). As a result, it said, the PSB was facing severe financial constraints and pensioners had not received their pensions for the last three months.
The retired employees said that during a period of unprecedented inflation and rising living costs, the non-payment of pensions had caused immense financial hardship to pensioners, many of whom depended solely on their monthly pension to meet basic needs, medical expenses and household obligations.
The committee also claimed that the amount re-appropriated and released to the PHF had reportedly not been placed before the PSB Board for approval. It said that instead of addressing the immediate concerns of pensioners, the Director General, PSB constituted a Pension Committee without a decision of the Board.
Quoting the relevant decision of the Board, the committee said the matter was limited to: “Preparation of proposal for the Pension Fund and placement before the Board for deliberation.”
The pensioners fear that rather than resolving the current financial crisis, efforts are being diverted towards exploring alternative arrangements while their legitimate concerns remain unaddressed.
The PSB Retired Pensioners Action Committee has appealed to Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah Khan and Secretary Ministry of IPC and Acting President PHF Mohi-Ud-Din Wani to take immediate notice of the matter.
The committee has sought immediate release of the pending pension for the last two months, restoration of regular, uninterrupted and timely pension payments in future, and protection of the rights and dignity of retired employees who, it said, devoted decades of dedicated service to the nation through the Pakistan Sports Board.
