OWING to advancements in medical sciences, the number of senior citizens in Pakistan have increased just as is the case globally. Almost 15 million citizens are aged over 60 years, which makes about seven per cent of country’s total population.

The senior citizens in Pakistani society are cast aside as people of no use. There are hardly any jobs available for them. Our financial managers have started deducting tax from the monthly profit they receive against their savings.

This deduction is from investments made by this segment of society out of a lifetime of savings in different schemes to make their ends meet, which particularly includes those who were not government employees and were employed privately, and, as such, having no entitlement for pension. They paid taxes regularly at source throughout their long service period, but no benefit is granted to them after retirement.

In the light of above, the government should direct the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to exempt senior citizens aged over 60 years from tax assessment to have some chance of a respectable living on the basis of their hard-earned savings. In these days of harsh inflation and skyrocketing prices of medicine, food, shelter and just about everything, it is almost impossible for senior citizens to eke out a living.

Ejaz Bukht Durrani
Lahore

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2023