Supreme Court directs PIA to pay 24 years pension to retired employee

The Supreme Court has directed Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to pay 24 years of pending pension to a retired employee and warned that its managing director must appear if the order is not implemented.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed heard the case and ordered payment to Mustafa Ansari, who retired in 2002 under a scheme.

The petitioner’s counsel told the court that pension and other benefits had been approved following a Sindh High Court order, but the dues remained unpaid while other employees continued to receive pensions.

During the hearing, the bench questioned whether pension payments could be withheld under any law, while PIA’s counsel sought time to obtain instructions.

The court directed that if the payment is not made before the next hearing, the managing director must appear in person. The case was adjourned until April 23.

In a separate ruling, the Supreme Court held that prior personal engagements cannot be considered sufficient grounds for seeking adjournment.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan issued the judgment in an appeal against a Lahore High Court verdict dated December 5, 2025.

The court observed that citing personal commitments reflects disregard for professional discipline and does not justify delaying proceedings.

According to the judgment, an adjournment request filed on April 2, 2026 by counsel Iftikhar Ahmad Bashir cited prior engagements and absence of an assistant as reasons for non-appearance.

The court ruled that adjournment applications must be filed through the Advocate-on-Record, who is responsible for ensuring that cases proceed without disruption.

It added that proceedings should not be delayed on grounds unrelated to legal or unavoidable constraints.