Bill for senior citizens

Thursday, December 06, 2012 

It is heartening to note that the United Nations Population Fund and HelpAge International are trying to focus the media’s attention on the bill for the rights of senior citizens, which has been lying pending in parliament since 2007. Pakistan is perhaps the only country where senior citizens of above 60 years of age are hardly offered any concessions or facilities when it comes to travelling, healthcare or entertainment. The government recently introduced the idea of a smart card scheme for pensioners, but it is yet to be implemented. The position on the ground is that senior citizens, especially those who belong to the lower strata, are offered no privileges. They have to wait in long queues even for As against this, in developed countries, senior citizens are given special treatment and consideration everywhere. They are given concession cards for travelling by air, road or trains. I have myself availed these concessions during my visits abroad. There are separate queues for senior citizens so that they do not have to wait for a long time. In Pakistan, the population of senior citizens is almost 12 percent of the total population. It is high time the government passed the bill. Similarly, the recent judgement of the Supreme Court on restoring full pension to retired senior citizens should also be implemented.

Zaheer Ahmed

Islamabad

    Senior citizens in Pakistan

This has reference to the letter published today Thursday 6^th December, 2012 in News on Senior Citizens written by Zaheer Ahmed, Islamabad and I really wonder as to how and why he being a senior citizen like me could ignore what privileges and concessions are already given to seniors in our beloved Pakistan which only visit but he very much resides there. What pains me the most is that in most cases we write and say something against our own country which is democratic right conferred upon us for sure but it does not give license to us to say howsoever wrong it may be against our country without any prior homework.

Very much regretfully in this letter which I am referring to the learned compatriot has complained and complained only about Pakistan which I simply cannot accept for academic discussion but before that let me pose some questions to him and then I will answer to his all the complaints mentioned herein.

I will first of all cut and paste his words which are published and then pen my comments on the same so that there is no space to doubt as to what he said or for that matter as to what I have construed.

 Quote, ‘Pakistan is perhaps the only country where senior citizens of above 60 years of age are hardly offered any concessions or facilities when it comes to travelling, healthcare or entertainment.’  

I am born on 15^th Dec 1943 so I am a certified senior citizen and it was 2006 when I had flown from Kuwait to Lahore via Karachi. After couple of days stay in Karachi I had to fly to Lahore so one fine morning I was in the waiting area in the departure lounge of Karachi Airport to fly to Lahore. After about half an hour or so I heard the announcement wherein the lady announcer said that ladies, children and senior citizens must board the flight for Lahore but what I saw was much different than what ought to be as per the sweet announcement. Not even a single soul stayed back in their seats rather on the contra each one of them queued to get into the flight. I did leave my seat but asked the lady who was guiding the passengers what to do next. I just asked her what is age of a senior citizen in Pakistan because I am continually out if Pakistan since 1976 but she did not know the answer but asked me to go with my flight co-passengers. The person who heard me asking her about the age of senior citizen very kindly came forward and asked me to go with him to board the flight but I thanked and told him to go ahead to board the flight as now I am more interested to know as to how a senior citizen is defined in my beloved Pakistan. Luckily I saw a PIA uniform senior official but he also did not know the answer and accompanied with to the air craft and we exchanged our introductory cards. It proves that at our airports senior citizen is duly recognized so he has falsified in his statement which I very much object to.

At Lahore Airport there is a special counter in immigration area where a big board is written saying that senior citizens, women, children and families should check in here meaning by that the government of Pakistan has not forgotten senior citizens as it has been accused by my country man in the letter under reference.  Incidentally each time when I fly in I find everyone queued on the counter without caring that it is not at all for all but for certain specific persons only and each time I fly in I complained and thanks to FIA staff who each time very kindly escort me to the official to put in arrival stamp on my passport. What does he say now and how can he disown what I have mentioned as per my own experience. In Kuwait there is no special counter for senior citizens.

His next attack is on healthcare but on what ground and how? He cannot and should not be allowed to say whatever comes to his mind because ground realities are much different than what is trying to paint. As his bad luck had I had fallen sick in Lahore where I stay with my younger brother in Defense Housing Authority. He took me to National Hospital & Medical Center somewhere near to DHA where at the payment I as a senior citizen was given some concession, 10% perhaps which can be wrong % but there was special concession in any case. The most commendable part was that the cashier one way or the other could guess that I must a senior citizen and therefore 1^st she excused with me and then asked about my age and when I told her that I am born in 1943 she replied to me that I being a senior citizen am entitled to get concession. I only had to give a photo copy of my NIC to prove that I am entitled to automatic concession. This was very much unexpected that I will save some money on medical charges. I gave away that money whatever I saved on account if being a senior citizen to a beggar who was very much there in the car parking lot. What does he say now?

I am not picking up any conflict with him as to which and how many foreign countries he has visited where he got some concessions as a senior citizen but the fact remains that in each country senior citizen is duly recognized and treated accordingly. In some places quite but naturally they may have been bestowed more concessions than other countries but I very much doubt that that are ignored in any country including Pakistan. Just I will give very glaring and simple examples of Kuwait to make you clearly understand as to how much senior citizens are cared for. Here in all hospitals and clinics it is written that emergency cases and senior citizens are not subjected to wait in long queues and people definitely pay due attention and respect to both of them. Abu Halifa Supermarket which is nearest to my residence, there the administration has earmarked nearest possible 3 cars parking spaces on left and 3 on right for disabled and senior citizens and if Kuwait traffic police issues ticket if someone not entitled to exclusive parking parks.

I am with him and will support if he wants that more concessions must be given to senior citizens in Pakistan but at the same he must change his mentality and must prove to be a judicious and prudent person and not otherwise. Does he realize what he has done? Did he try to join the queue of letter writers and if so then he is grossly mistaken repeat grossly mistaken because a true letter writer does not write something which in untrue? Will he realize now what has he done to himself?