The Supreme Court has delivered a significant judgement clarifying the rules governing the pension and retirement benefits of deceased employees.
The ruling states that a widow -- not the deceased employee's siblings -- is legally entitled to receive pension benefits unless the law provides otherwise.
The judgement clarifies that pension benefits are governed by specific laws and institutional rules rather than general inheritance principles.
According to the court's ruling, only the widow or a person nominated under the relevant law can claim the pension of a deceased employee.
The Supreme Court emphasized that simply being a legal heir does not give siblings the right to receive a deceased employee's pension or retirement benefits.
Pension must be paid according to institutional rules
The court further observed that pension payments can only be made in accordance with the relevant laws, regulations and service rules of the institution concerned.
The judgement reinforces that pension is a statutory benefit governed by specific legal provisions and cannot be distributed solely on the basis of inheritance claims.
The ruling came while deciding an appeal filed by the siblings of a deceased Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) employee, who had sought the issuance of an inheritance certificate for pension-related benefits.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the earlier decision of the Peshawar High Court, which had ruled against the siblings' claim.
The four-page judgement was authored by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.
The decision is expected to serve as an important legal precedent for future disputes involving pension and retirement benefits of deceased employees, reaffirming that such payments must strictly follow the applicable legal framework.
