By: Nadeem Tanoli
Islamabad: The federal government has paid Rs342.1 million in pensions over the last five years to 33 retired federal government employees residing abroad, while acknowledging that it does not have complete data on all federal pensioners who may have shifted overseas.
The details were shared by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb in the National Assembly in response to a question raised by Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto.
According to the official reply, the 33 civil pensioners were appointed before January 2, 1959, and are receiving pensions in foreign currency through Pakistani missions abroad. Their pensions are first worked out in Pakistani rupees and then disbursed in local currency through formal banking channels.
The government said Rs342,109,614 was paid to these pensioners during the five-year period from 2021 to 2026, averaging around Rs68.4 million annually.
The largest number of such pensioners is based in the United States, where 22 pensioners are receiving payments through Washington, New York and Houston. Washington accounts for 11 pensioners, who received Rs136.47 million over five years, while 10 pensioners in New York received Rs101.51 million. One pensioner in Houston received Rs23.48 million.
Canada has six pensioners on the list. Four are linked to Ottawa, where Rs14.37 million was paid, while one pensioner in Toronto received Rs24.28 million and one in Vancouver received Rs1.79 million.
The remaining pensioners are listed in different countries. One pensioner in Vienna, Austria, received Rs2.24 million over five years. One in London received Rs21.47 million, one in Canberra received Rs9.39 million, one in Rome received Rs4.54 million and one in Stockholm received Rs2.56 million.
The government informed the National Assembly that these pensioners are not required to travel to Pakistan to receive their pensions. The Accountant General Pakistan Revenues issues a one-time sealed payment authority in Pakistani currency to the Chief Accounts Officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which payments are arranged through the relevant Pakistani embassy or mission abroad.
However, the government conceded that it lacks complete information about federal pensioners living abroad who continue to receive pensions in Pakistani rupees through the Direct Credit System.
It said such pensioners are not legally bound to inform AGPR if they move abroad. Although pensioners are required to submit proof of life, AGPR does not have a mechanism to independently obtain and verify their actual place of residence.
The government also stated that AGPR has no information about pensioners of organisations outside the federal government, as pensions of autonomous bodies and corporations are handled by their respective organisations.
The official list of 33 pensioners includes former ambassadors, senior government officers, engineers, directors, secretaries, auditors, medical officers and other retired employees from various government departments.
The government is now preparing a digital system to facilitate life verification for pensioners living anywhere in the world.
According to the reply, the Controller General of Accounts, in collaboration with NADRA, has developed the Pak Identity App, which includes a feature for verification of life certificates and proof of life. The application is expected to be launched soon.
At present, overseas pensioners receiving payments in foreign currency either submit life certificates or personally appear before the concerned Pakistani embassy to prove that they are alive.
The question and official reply were laid before the National Assembly during its 29th session.
