ISLAMABAD, Aug 16: The Supreme Court was on Thursday informed that a bill to establish Pakistan Senior Citizens Welfare Council with an initial funding of Rs1 billion was awaiting approval of the cabinet.

Attorney General Malik Mohammad Qayyum while explaining the salient features of the bill before a five-member bench said senior citizens would be granted five-year multiple tourism visas by the embassies or foreign missions in Pakistan on the recommendations of the Foreign Office.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justices Javed Iqbal, Faqir Mohammad Khokhar, M. Javed Buttar and Sardar Raza Khan had taken up the plight of a citizen suo motu.

“The bill seeks to give due reverence to elders as enshrined in our religion. Funding will be granted to the council through non-lapsable budgetary grants. Financial assistance in deserving cases will also be extended to the senior citizens to marry their daughters,” he said.

While disposing of the matter, the CJ in a lighter vein also suggested provision of financial assistance for the wedding of senior citizens too.

Suggestions by citizens, non-governmental organisations or any department for improving the bill will be acceptable, the AG assured the bench.

He said prime minister would be patron-in-chief of the ten-member council with the minister for social welfare and special education as its chairman.

The functions of the council include keeping liaison with the federal, provincial and local governments as well as non- governmental organisations to ensure retirement benefits to the senior citizens including pension before reaching the date of superannuation. Their brilliant children will also be granted scholarships for higher education abroad.

Facilities like special counters at pension receiving places and separate wards with free medical treatment in government hospitals have also been included in the bill.

They can enjoy 25 per cent concession in road transport fare, fifty percent in train fare and 20 per cent each in air and ship fares, etc.

Senior citizens can enter a public park, museum, zoo, cinema house, public library and other similar places free of charge. They will be given 50 per cent concession in income tax, where the limit of annual income does not exceed Rs400,000.

Opportunity for Haj through quota without balloting along with one attendant and ten per cent concession in utility bills within a limit of Rs1,000 would also be part of the facilities.

The bill also envisages establishment of recreational centres at the federal and provincial levels and a monthly stipend of Rs3,000 for the deserving senior citizens. Banks, post offices, PIA, railways and other departments will have special counters for the senior citizens. Preference will also be given to them in resolving their issues related to government departments.

They will also have separate cells in jails and police stations with all basic facilities and will be given priority in courts for redressal of their cases.

Senior citizens will also be given representation in local zakat and ushr committees besides enjoying 20 per cent concession in public and private sector guest houses as well as private sector marriage halls including hotels for the wedding ceremonies of their orphaned children.

Distant learning courses will also be introduced through the electronic media for meeting challenges of old age and ensuring identification of their problems and hardships.