KARACHI, April 21: Speakers at a seminar on “care for the elderly in Pakistan” on Monday urged the government that senior citizens be provided their due rights and facilities which are available to their counterparts in other countries.

Speaking at the seminar, organized by the Pakistan Senior Citizens Association, they said that though the government had announced a policy to provide facilities to senior citizens over three years back, it had not yet been implemented.

They pointed out that earlier senior citizens used to keep their savings in various national savings schemes which gave good returns, but in the past couple of years the interest rate on these schemes had been brought down considerably which had been affecting the income of the elderly. They urged that interest rates be made more attractive for senior citizens.

They said that banks and financial institutions be advised to give better returns to senior citizens. They said even in the developing countries, like Thailand and Sri Lanka, senior citizens were being given better returns on their savings.

They said that subsidies on other facilities, like travel — air, rail, bus — and tax be provided to the elderly.

Pointing out that the elderly were more prone to sicknesses, they urged the government that they be provided better health care facilities.

They urged the government to reserve quota for senior citizens in new housing schemes.

Pointing out that the senior citizens had a treasure of knowledge and experience in their respective fields, they urged the government that the able-bodied elderly be rehired on the part-time basis so that they could play their due role in the progress of the country by sharing their experiences and knowledge with the younger people.

They urged the government that the scheme of Employees Old- age Benefit Institution be further expanded and improved and more organizations be registered with it so that a large number of workers could benefit from it after retirement. They demanded that the social security net, particularly for the elderly, be expanded.

Sindh governor Ishratul Ibad who was to be the chief guest could not come and his message was read out by Sindh Chief Minister’s Advisor Aftab S. Shaikh.

In his message, the governor urged the senior citizens to play their due role in forging unity among the masses so that the national integration could further be strengthened.

The message said that senior citizens were an important segment of society and their socio-economic issues would be solved. It said that the nation could benefit from the knowledge and experience of the senior citizens.

Aftab Shaikh said that laws be formulated to provide relief and to solve issues being faced by the senior citizens. He also said that the policy that has been announced by the government for the elderly be implemented so that they received some relief.

One of the speakers said that the eastern culture and the region’s rich social traditions that taught of caring for the elderly and giving them their due respect were gradually vanishing from the society, which was creating issues for senior citizens.

Another speaker demanded that the geriatric medicine be given due importance in the medical curriculum so that more doctors were able to handle cases of senior citizens who suffer from aging diseases and complications.

Commander (retd) S. M. Zaki, Qutubuddin Aziz, Zulekha Zar, Tazeen Faridi, Raana Mahmood, Fatima Mohabat Ali, Anis Allana, Noor Mohammad Memon, Shahid Zaki, and others also spoke at the seminar, conducted by Ansar Ali Syed.