The Lahore High Court (LHC) has delivered a significant ruling in favour of unmarried and divorced daughters of deceased government employees, declaring unlawful the restrictions that prevented them from receiving family pensions.
Justice Syed Ahsan Raza Kazmi issued the judgment while accepting three petitions challenging the Punjab Finance Department’s pension restrictions.
The court ruled that family pension cannot be limited exclusively to a deceased employee’s surviving husband or wife.
The court declared the Punjab Finance Department’s clarification dated May 30, 2025, unlawful and beyond its legal authority.
The court also invalidated the relevant provisions of government notifications issued in December 2024 and August 2025, which had restricted pension eligibility for certain family members.
The judgment emphasized that administrative instructions and regulations cannot override rights established under existing legislation.
Justice Kazmi observed that pension benefits are legally protected entitlements rather than financial assistance granted at the government’s discretion.
The court explained that the relevant legislation uses the term “family,” which cannot be interpreted as referring exclusively to a surviving spouse.
The ruling provides important legal protection to unmarried and divorced daughters seeking pension benefits following their parents’ deaths.
The court further clarified that receiving a pension from one deceased parent does not automatically disqualify a daughter from claiming benefits associated with another deceased parent.
However, each claim must be examined separately according to applicable eligibility requirements.
Government Departments Ordered to Review Cases Within 60 Days
The Lahore High Court directed the relevant departments to reconsider the petitioners’ pension applications within 60 days of receiving the certified judgment.
Authorities must provide the applicants with a proper opportunity to present their cases before making fresh decisions.
Where eligibility is established, pension benefits and outstanding payments must be considered under the law.
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The court did not order automatic payments to every applicant, leaving individual eligibility assessments to the responsible departments.
The decision represents an important development in protecting the pension rights of eligible daughters of deceased government employees across Punjab.
