October 2, 2002	Wednesday	Rajab 24, 1423

KARACHI, Oct 1: Speakers at a function regretted that senior citizens were being neglected in general, and urged the government that seniors should be given their due rights and the benefits that they deserved.

This was stated at a function organized in connection with International Senior Citizens Day on Tuesday by the Senior Citizens Foundation of Pakistan.

They said that there were over eight million senior citizens in the country, and if they united in the upcoming elections and asked the candidates and political parties what they intended to do or how they planned to give benefits to senior citizens, things might change for the better for the elderly.

They said that eight million voters were a big force, and if they forged unity and struggled jointly for their rights, political parties and the government would be bound to listen to their grievances and redress these soon. But unfortunately, they were not yet organized.

The quality of life of senior citizens was not good in general, and a large number of them lived miserable lives in the rural areas, where the majority of the population lives, it was stated. They said that seniors had given the best part of their lives for the development of the country, and now it was society’s turn to take good care of its senior citizens.

Senior citizens were given many benefits and concessions by the government and society in western countries, but here, many of the benefits and concessions that were available to the working generation were withdrawn or made difficult to obtain when people reached the age of seniority or retired.

They said that as a person became older, he became vulnerable to disease, so the government should formulate a procedure so that seniors could get tax free or less expensive medicines and have access to good health care.

They also urged the government to set up foundations and organizations where senior citizens, who were experts in their respective fields, could hold discussions and debates on serious issues being faced by the nation and could present their solutions.

Such institutions and foundations were common in western countries and were often referred to as think tanks, and their governments many a times also took guidance from their analysis.

Regretting the materialism which had engulfed society, they said that social values had changed and a large number of children did not take proper care of their parents, though they had taken good care of their children when they were young.

One of the speakers, however, said that some blame for children not taking care of their parents would be put on the parents themselves, because it were they (parents) who had not properly groomed and brought up their children, and now, the children in turn were neglecting them.

The organizers said that the SCF was setting up a library and reading room in Federal B Area, and it would be operational soon. They said that the SCF was also planning and approaching the government to obtain benefits for the elderly, and hopefully the government would soon announce its policy containing benefits for senior citizens.

President of the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) Begum Tazeen Faridi, Prof Lt-Gen S. Azhar Ahmad (R), S. H. Hashmi, Dr M. Arshad Malik, Naseemuddin Ahmad, and others spoke at the function conducted by Huma Mir.

MEASURES FOR SENIORS: Sindh Minister for Law and Social Welfare, Abdul Qadir Halipoto said on Tuesday that effective measures are being taken by the government for the welfare of senior citizens as they are the torch-bearers for the young generation to build a better future, adds PPI.

He was addressing the first ever ceremony organized for senior citizens by the department of social welfare and women’s development to mark Senior Citizens Day.

“(The) government has increased pensions by seven per cent. That will supplement a little bit to meet their requirements,” Halipoto said, adding that “the government is designing a policy that could prove helpful for (the) betterment of senior citizens.”