ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: There is an urgent need for enactment of a senior citizens bill, said federal minister Mahmud Ali while presiding over the executive committee meeting of the Senior Citizens' Federation here.

Mahmud Ali, who is the president of the federation, said he would request the prime minister to present the bill in the parliament for approval after concurrence of the cabinet.

Talking to Dawn after the meeting, the minister said recently the relevant parliamentary standing committee had agreed that the bill should be tabled in the parliament.

He said the bill had been awaiting passage by the parliament for the last seven years. When asked as to who can be legally described as a senior citizen, he referred to the pensioners' scheme as well as profit schemes introduced for persons over 60 years of age.

According to this configuration, he said, the government was clear that all those who attained 60 years got superannuated and become senior citizens. A member, who attended Tuesday's executive committee meeting, said in most other countries persons past 60 years were deemed to be senior citizens and entitled to a number of privileges, which are increased after their assuming 65 years age.