KARACHI, April 29: Senior citizens have urged the government to enhance the taxable limit of their income from the current Rs200,000 to Rs400,000. The demand was made at a meeting of the Senior Citizens Advisory Council which was attended by various senior citizens' organizations - Association of the Elderly, Senior Citizens Advisory Council, Daughters of Islam, Senior Citizens Foundation, etc.

They further demanded that a 10 per cent withholding tax imposed on Bahbood certificates of senior citizens and pensioners be withdrawn, and that the profit rate on saving certificates of senior citizens be increased to at least 12 per cent per annum.

They demanded that geriatric care facilities be provided at government hospitals, and a geriatric home be also established. They demanded that entry to public parks for the senior citizens be made free and that special counters be provided for senior citizens at banks.

Dr Zaki Hassan, Shireen Rehmatullah, Akram Khatoon, A. Fatima Rizvi, Nurafshan Imam, Nilofar Ahmad, Mohammad Haneef and others represented their organizations at the meeting.