Govt Launches E-Pension Portal

The Pakistani government, in partnership with the Accountant General Pakistan Revenues (AGPR), has launched an e-Pension Portal to modernize pension services for government workers and expedite retirement case processing. The innovative system aims to handle pension cases within days rather than months, enabling employees and retirees to monitor their cases online without frequent visits to government offices.

Pension funds can now be electronically transferred to commercial bank accounts, eliminating the limitation of accessing them solely through designated National Bank branches. The portal also sends SMS alerts to registered mobile numbers, notifying users when a pension is disbursed or a deduction is made.

Employees nearing retirement can pre-upload their data to the system via their respective departments before leaving the workforce. The government has introduced biometric verification for pension recipients, replacing the need to submit a Life Certificate twice a year at a bank. Pensioners can now complete verification by providing fingerprints at a bank branch or a biometric-enabled ATM every six months.

The government is also developing mobile applications that may allow pensioners to complete verification from home using a mobile phone camera for facial or fingerprint confirmation. Failure to complete the required biometric verification within the allotted time may lead to a temporary suspension of the pension account; however, the account will be restored once the verification is successfully completed.

To access the online pension system, employees must have their data entered into the portal by their department, providing information such as a Computerized National Identity Card, personal number, and active mobile phone number. Upon completion of data entry, employees receive a unique Pension ID that can be used to access pension-related services and track the progress of their case.