ISLAMABAD: The Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) pensioners urged the government to increase their pension from Rs10,000 to Rs30,000 to fulfill their basic needs of life.
A large number of pensioners who have given their life and experience to the economic and industrial development of this country are in acute economic and mental duress over not being able to manage the basic needs of life.
The EOBI pensioners urged the government to allow pensioners to live with dignity and honour by increasing the EOBI pension to an amount equivalent to the minimum wage prevailing at any given time.
The old people of EOBI pensioners said the government should also issue health cards to provide them the most critical cover they need in this phase of their lives.
Pension holders of EOBI were waiting that the government would increase their pension in Budget-2024-25 but it did not increase.
Muhammad Azad of 78 years’ age, while talking to Business Recorder, said “Rs10,000 pension is a very minor amount even we could not purchase medicines for one month as the price of medicine has increased by 400 percent.”
He said the lives of the EOBI pension holders are in a miserable condition due to price hike in the country. He said the government should increase minimum pension from Rs10,000 to Rs30,000 to fulfil the basic needs of life. He said “we could not meet living expenses, which include food, shelter, clothing, medical expenses, utility bills, travelling, etc.”
He said “we had hoped from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government to increase pension in Budget-2024-25 but did not do so.” He said the old people of EOBI pension holders hoped from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to increase their pension.
Another EOBI pension holder, Majid Altaf, who is 77-year-old, said the inflation is increasing day by day in the country but the pension amount did not increase for the last two years as announced by the government.
He said he is unable to purchase medicines and other basic food items due to much lower pension. He appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to increase EOBI pension for giving financial relief to the old people. He also appealed the prime minister to increase the EOBI pension to an amount equivalent to the minimum wage of a labourer.
Muhammad Hussain, another pension holder said that Rs10,000 pension is nominal while price hike in the country continues. He said that due to this price hike, he could not pay electricity and gas bills. He appealed to the prime minister to increase their pension.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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