Court rules 15 years of contributions mandatory for EOBI pension

The Federal Constitutional Court ruled that a mandatory 15 years of contributions is required for receiving an Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) pension. The court accepted EOBI’s appeal, overturning an order that had granted a pension to an individual with less than six years of insured employment. The court also set aside orders previously issued by the Federal Ombudsman, the president, and the Islamabad High Court.

The ruling established that legal requirements for pension eligibility cannot be superseded by considerations of fairness or sympathy. Furthermore, the court clarified that a pension dispute alone does not automatically fall under the Federal Ombudsman’s jurisdiction, even if it is described as maladministration.