International Day of Older People today

International Day of Older People (IDOP) is being celebrated on Monday (today) October 1, 2018 amid demands for the speedy implementation of the KP Senior Citizens Act by the senior citizens in the province. The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has passed Senior Citizens Act, 2014 from the provincial assembly for giving respect, honour and comfort to the senior citizens.
The relief announced for the senior citizens (above 60 year age) included the establishment of special counters for them at public places like hospitals, bank branches. Under the act the senior citizens have been exempted of the hospital fee at OPD counter while in private transport and railway they are entitled for 50 concessions in fares. However, due to the lack of policy on the payment of subsidy it could not be implemented.
According to Imran Inam, a civil society activist and champion of the senior citizens' rights, Pakistan is the sixth most populous country, Pakistan is among one of those 15 countries in the world where people of age 60 and over are more than 10 million. According to United Nations Population Fund, it is estimated that 7% of the total population of Pakistan is over the age of 60 with a figure of 13 million and this figure will rise to 44 million by 2050.
He said that the rights of the older people are human rights, yet number of older men and women face age discrimination and ignorance. Population Ageing is a global phenomenon now and countries around the world are developing new laws and legislation for protection of rights of older people.
Governments in Pakistan have also shown progress towards this and Senior Citizen Act was passed in province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2014. This is the first ever law for protection of rights of older people in Pakistan.
Older people in the province are still waiting for the implementation of the act. The acts say that, "A senior Citizen may, on completion of his 60 years of age, apply for the senior citizen card". Government has announced the registration of senior citizens through a newspaper advertisement in February 2018.
Older people then started submitting the registration forms at their respective district social welfare offices. Till date 700,000 forms have been received by the department of social welfare, but still not even a single Senior Citizen card has been issued.
The act further say that senior citizen will have "Free of charge entry to public museums, libraries, parks and recreation facilities", "Financial support to deserving senior citizens", "separate counters for senior citizens in hospitals" , "concession in medical and medicine charges" and "separate medical wards". Older people are still waiting to receive these provisions.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa human rights policy was also finalized in earlier 2018, chapter 9 of this policy emphasizes on the implementation of senior citizen act and to provide a dignified life to older people of the province.