KARACHI: In a major administrative push to ensure the timely delivery of retirement benefits and healthcare coverage to public servants, Chief Secretary (CS) Sindh Asif Hyder Shah chaired a meeting at the Sindh Secretariat focused on eliminating deep-rooted structural bottlenecks in pension processing and medical reimbursement claims.
The crucial session brought together top provincial executive leadership, including the Accountant General (AG) Sindh, Secretary Finance, Secretary Services, Secretary Health, Secretary General Administration, and Secretary Implementation & Coordination (I&C).
Refusing to accept routine delays in post-retirement dues that have historically burdened outgoing civil servants, the Chief Secretary put a direct query to AG Sindh and Secretary Finance on whether major financial benefits could be disbursed on the exact day of an employee’s retirement.
Following an affirmative confirmation from both authorities, the Chief Secretary issued explicit directives requiring all provincial administrative departments to resolve and clear every pending pension bill within the next three months. Furthermore, effective January 1, every retiring official in Sindh must receive their pension and primary financial entitlements on their final day of service.
To operationalise this policy shift, Secretary Services has been appointed to lead an inter-departmental task force comprising AG Sindh, Finance, Health, General Administration, and other key administrative bodies.
The task force has been instructed to draft an integrated operational framework, propose any necessary rule amendments, and submit the finalised structure within one week.
Addressing chronic delays in medical claims during the same meeting, the forum identified several key administrative friction points, including incomplete documentation submitted by administrative departments, slow e-verification processes by medical boards, and recurring delays in obtaining Non-Availability Certificates (NAC) from government health facilities.
Observing that these delays stem primarily from operational inefficiencies rather than policy or funding barriers, the Chief Secretary tasked Secretary General Administration to lead a joint review alongside AG Sindh, Finance, Services, and other major departments.
The committee has been directed to eliminate redundant paperwork, resolve procedural bottlenecks, and design a simplified, citizen-centric workflow that ensures hassle-free medical reimbursements for government employees and their families.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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