LAHORE - Pensioners of the National Bank of Pakistan have appealed to the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take up and decide as soon as possible a review petition filed many months ago against the dismissal of a petition regarding payment of pension to the NBP employees on the basis of a notification that was no longer effective.

The review petition was filed in November last year and has so far not been taken up. Some 8,600 pensioners will be affected/ benefited by the apex court's decision. The petitions that they want taken up are Civil Appeal NO.353 of 2015 and CMA NOs 1493 and 2079 of 2015 and Civil Appeal NO. 623 to 673 of 2017.

The review petition contends that the notification issued by the Finance Division and Circular No.228 (C) issued by the NBP could be treated at par with the statutory rules when they have been acted upon for decades and decades together. Regarding reduction in pension factor, it said, from 70 per cent to 33 per cent cannot be justified under any principle of law and jurisprudence when the recommendations of the Pay commission , orders of the Banking Council, notification issued by the Finance Division , Government of Pakistan and the circular issued by the NBP did not limit their efficacy in terms of time.

Failure to have the notification published in the official gazette, the counsel says, can't shear it of its efficacy or make it non-statutory.

It is said that many pensioners are living in trying circumstances.