“The senior citizens represent a great reservoir of cumulative wisdom and experience,” he said in a message to mark the ‘International Day of Elderly’ being observed tomorrow.

The president said, “It is in our national interest that private and public sectors should utilize this resource and mobilize their energies.”

He said, his task force on human development has one of its goals, the setting up of a corps of senior citizens who could volunteer and help the literacy, health and micro enterprises development programmes.

He said, the welfare of the aged is very close to his heart.

In this respect, he said, “I have issued instructions that entire range of services for the senior citizens should be reviewed and have constituted a special task force of distinguished senior citizens for this purpose.

They will consult the provincial governments, conduct studies and survey of elderly so that policies and programmes formulated are in conformity with ground realities.

The president said the findings of this task force will provide the basis for policy formulation and setting up of appropriate services for senior citizens in future.

Our generation, he said, is beholden to them for their invaluable contribution to the creation and consolidation of our country.

“History rarely confers the unique distinction on a generation, of not only participating in its freedom movement, but also seeing its realization. Many amongst senior citizens have witnessed this epoch making period.”

Gen Musharraf said, we are living in a country where the population of elderly is growing at a rapid rate.

It is estimated that over the next two decades the population of citizens beyond the age of 60 years will grow at the rate of 5.5 per cent.—APP