Govt. considering to reduce retirement age to 55

Federal Government is considering reducing the age of retirement to 55 for the government employees and it is in the process of consultations.

According to the details, to formulation of new policy for all government employees is underway and three separate committees are working on the issue and another committee will look into the proposal for officers of grade 21 to 22.

The new policy will be implemented after approval from federal cabinet.

Earlier in April, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the Establishment Division to implement new retirement rules for government employees under which they can be retired even before reaching 60 years of age on the basis of their performance.

According to the Prime Minister Office, The premier also directed the Establishment Division to send the new rules to all ministries and divisions so that these could be implemented.

He also directed all ministries to compile lists of their employees along with their length of service and performance.

New rules, which were notified on April 15, are called the Civil Servants (Directory Retirement from Service) Rules, 2020.

Procedure:

Each division, department or office will maintain a list of civil servants who have completed service along with their complete service record.

The retirement board and retirement committees will review performance of all civil servants.

Under sub-rule(1), prior of being retired, at the age of superannuation, cases of civil servants will be referred by the secretary or cadre administrator concerned to the relevant retirement board or retirement committees if it is determined that grounds for directory retirement as specified in rule 5 have become applicable.

Under the rules, if the competent authority, after examining the recommendations of the retirement board and other record placed before it, agrees with the recommendations for directory retirement of a civil servant, he shall issue a show-cause notice to the civil servant concerned informing him of the grounds on which it is proposed to make the directive and will provide him the opportunity of personal hearing if so requested by the civil servant concerned.

In the cases where the prime minister is the competent authority, he may designate a BS-22 officer for granting personal hearing to the civil servant(s) on his behalf.

A civil servant against whom an order for directory retirement is passed by the competent authority will be eligible for pension as the competent authority may direct.