Summary The Supreme Court ruled that a deceased employee's widow, not siblings, is the lawful recipient of pension and retirement benefits.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that the widow of a deceased retired employee is the lawful beneficiary of the employee's pension and retirement benefits, not the deceased's siblings.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi issued the four-page judgment, clarifying that pension payments must be made in accordance with the relevant laws and the service rules of the concerned institution.
The court held that only the widow or a person legally nominated under the applicable rules can receive the pension, adding that being a legal heir alone does not entitle brothers or sisters to claim pension benefits.
The judgment further stated that pension disbursement must strictly follow the governing legal framework and institutional regulations.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal filed by the siblings of a deceased PESCO employee seeking the issuance of a succession certificate and upheld the earlier verdict of the Peshawar High Court.
