KARACHI: The management of the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI)—the national body responsible for providing pensions to millions of private-sector employees—is under fire for defying explicit directives from the President of Pakistan, leaving the helpless family of a deceased employee without their rightful pension for seven years.
Taking strict notice of the ongoing non-compliance and extraordinary delay, Zia-ul-Rashid Abbasi, Director General (Legal Affairs & Implementation) at the President’s Secretariat (Public) in Islamabad, issued a formal notice to the Chairman of EOBI on June 2, 2026. The Chairman has been asked to explain why the Presidential order, issued nearly five months ago on December 17, 2025, has not yet been implemented. The DG has directed the EOBI Chief to ensure immediate execution of the decision and submit a compliance report to the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
According to institutional sources, the Presidency’s stern notice has sent shockwaves through the upper echelons of EOBI, with top officials reportedly scrambling to shift the blame onto one another to avoid accountability.
Background of the Case
The case pertains to the family of Naseer Ahmed Awan, who served as a Superintendent at the EOBI Regional Office in Nazimabad, Karachi. Awan passed away during his service on March 13, 2019, after dedicating 33 years of exemplary service to the institution.
Being unmarried, Awan was the sole breadwinner for his two sisters—one divorced and one unmarried. Following his sudden demise, the family was plunged into severe financial distress. Despite repeatedly approaching successive EOBI chairmen for their lawful family pension, their pleas fell on deaf ears.
The Fight for Justice
Seeking justice, the aggrieved family initially approached the Federal Ombudsman and subsequently appealed to the President of Pakistan.
On December 17, 2025, Justice (R) Irfan Qadir, Advisor (Legal Affairs) to the President’s Secretariat, ruled in favor of the complainant, Majeeda Parveen (the divorced sister of the deceased). President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, formally endorsed the legal advisor’s decision, approving the release of the family pension dues and ordering EOBI Chairman Dr. Javed Ahmed Sheikh to ensure payment.
Despite the absolute authority of the Presidential order and the passage of five months, the EOBI management stubbornly failed to comply. Seven years after losing their sole provider, the vulnerable family of the late superintendent remains deprived of their legal right, enduring severe mental anguish and financial hardship due to bureaucratic apathy.
