ISLAMABAD: While the Ministry of Defence termed the pensions of
retired security forces personnel, who come under it, a matter of national
security but the
last five years budget documents reveal
Rs711 billion (79 percent of total Rs900.96 billion) have been
spent on this count.
The analysis of
last five year budget documents reveal that a major chunk of the amount earmarked for pensions directly goes to the
retired personnel. According to the budget documents of fiscal year 2011-12, the federal government allocated Rs140 billion for the pensions out of which Rs98.02 billion which is 69.80 percent of the total budget was
spent in paying the pensions of the
security forces personnel.
In the year 2012-13, the pension’s amount was increased from Rs140.42 to Rs172 billion. However the pensions of the
retired employees of the civilian government remained almost the same as was in the previous year. But the
retired security forces personnel’s pensions increased significantly. The allocation of pension’s amount for
retired security forces
personnel reached from Rs98.02 billion to Rs131.03 billion which is 75.90 percent of the total
pension allocated for pensions in the fiscal year 2012-13.
The budget documents further reveal that in the fiscal year 2013-14, the federal government increased the pension’s amount by almost
five percent than the previous year. The government allocated Rs180.2 billion compared to Rs172.63 billion in the previous year. The ratio of the civilians’
pension remained almost the same as was in the previous year but the pensions of the
retired security forces
personnel increased from Rs 131 billion to Rs 142.13 billion which is 78.87 percent of the total pensions allocated in the fiscal year 2013-14.
The federal government did **t increase the
pension amount significantly in the fiscal year 2014-15 as only Rs5 billion was increased that year and reached Rs185.16 billion. However, the
security forces personnel's
pension ratio increased this year too and Rs168.21 billion was
spent on their
pension compared to Rs142.13 billion
last year.
According to the budget documents, the government
spent Rs222.51 billion on the pensions in the fiscal year 2015-16 out of which Rs172 billion which is 77.30% of the total allocation
spent on the
retired security forces personnel’s pension.
Interestingly each year the ratio of civilian
retired employees’
pension remained almost the same or just a mi**r increment was witnessed in their pensions. However the ratio of
pension of
retired security forces
personnel became almost double in the
last five years and reached from Rs98 billion to Rs172 billion.
It is pertinent to mention here that the
pension amount is issued from the civilian budget however when this scribe filed an application under the provision of Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002 to seek details of
pension of the
retired security personnel, the defence ministry after two months refused to provide the information terming it against the national security, and that providing the same will **t be in general public interest.
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