Senior Citizens

At a recent wedding a few grey haired gentlemen, though modestly dressed yet looking distinguished and dignified were sitting in a corner oblivious to the joyous surroundings and engrossed in their own qualms. They were the retired pensioners and senior citizen, some having had held the sway at Secretarial level of the government. The focus of their discussion was how hard it was for them now to make both ends meet. As honest officers, their life savings had been exhausted on the education and marriage of the children and now they were living upon their meagre pensions and a few upon the investments in Bahbood and the Pensioners’ Fund with the National Savings Scheme. They wondered if anyone at the helm could also pay some attention to their plight in the coming budget to ease their little remaining life in these hard days of inflation and extremely high prices of all utilities and daily consumer items. At least their pensions cou ld be brought at par with the current pension rules. The limits of investment in the Savings Schemes could be enhanced for the Senior Citizens. The privileges and concessions so pretentiously announced by the government should also be ensured to be implemented, which are not.

I also wondered, if their voice would ever be heard?!!

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)