Thousands of railways officers pensions unpaid for three years have left retired employees in severe financial distress. Pakistan Railways’ claims of improved financial performance now face serious scrutiny as billions in dues remain unpaid.

Employees who retired after March 2023 have yet to receive their retirement dues. The total pending employee liabilities have reached a staggering Rs 21.36 billion.

Let us break down where that money sits. Around Rs 10 billion remains unpaid against 5,578 gratuity claims of retired employees. Under the Prime Minister’s Assistance Package, another Rs 7.52 billion is outstanding against 4,135 claims.

That is not all. Dues worth Rs 1.18 billion under marriage grants and Rs 1.52 billion under benevolent fund grants are also pending payment. For families waiting on these funds, the delay has caused immense hardship.

So what is the holdup? Documents reveal that despite repeated requests from the Railways Ministry, the Finance Ministry has not allocated additional funds to clear these outstanding payments. A supplementary grant summary worth Rs 8.19 billion has remained pending since December 2025.

That summary has not even been placed on the agenda of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) for the past five months. Without ECC approval, the money cannot flow to the retirees who desperately need it.

The situation becomes more puzzling when looking at the numbers. Pakistan Railways generated revenue of Rs 93 billion during the last fiscal year. The department also received Rs 64 billion in government grants during the same period. Yet with railways officers pensions unpaid for three years, questions about financial management are unavoidable.

Retired employees spent decades serving the national railway system. They expected their gratuity and pension payments to arrive on time. Instead, many are now waiting years for what is rightfully theirs.

The marriage grant delays affect families planning weddings. The benevolent fund delays hit those already facing emergencies. None of this should happen to people who gave their working lives to a government institution.

For now, the ball sits in the Finance Ministry’s court. Until the ECC places the supplementary grant on its agenda and approves the funds, thousands of railways officers pensions unpaid will remain a painful reality. Former employees and their families can only wait and hope for action soon.