PSB pensioners protest nearly two-month delay in pension payments

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Pensioners Action Committee has protested the non-payment of pensions for nearly two months, saying elderly retirees, widows and orphans are facing severe financial hardship.

The committee urged the authorities, particularly the secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, to resolve what it described as a growing financial and administrative crisis and release all outstanding pension payments immediately.

The pensioners said many elderly retirees and families dependent on pension payments were struggling to meet basic needs because of the prolonged delay.

They warned that if the outstanding pensions were not released immediately, they would be forced to begin a peaceful hunger strike.

The pensioners appealed to the Prime Minister, the federal minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination and other relevant authorities to take immediate notice of the issue.

“We have served Pakistan all our lives and should not be forced to beg in our own country,” the pensioners said.

The Action Committee also urged the government to take urgent steps to ensure that widows and orphans dependent on PSB pensions were not forced to take to the streets over the non-payment of their dues.