Pakistan, June 4 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday held that an employee who serves for a prolonged period on a contract basis against a permanent post cannot be denied pension rights merely because his or her services were regularized at a later stage, observing that pension is not a charity or a government favour but a recognized right that provides financial security in old age.

According to a detailed judgment, a two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali dismissed an appeal filed by the federal government and upheld a decision of the Federal Service Tribunal directing that the contract service of Woman Programme Officer (WPO) Seema Tauseef be counted towards pension and other financial benefi...