Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education was making efforts to establish Senior Citizens' Welfare Council, an independent body to study, advise and recommend plans and steps for welfare of senior citizens in the country.
In this regard, the draft of "Senior Citizens Welfare Bill 2008" was finalised by the Ministry to device plans and measures to be adopted for the welfare of these persons, said an official of Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education while talking to APP here on Saturday. The council would establish its branches in the provincial capitals to conduct research and compile data on various aspects of ageing for the well being of senior citizens for policy formulation in the light of United Nations principles.
It would also formulate proposals to accommodate the requirements of the senior citizens in urban and rural planning and development at various levels. He said, the constitution of Pakistan declares promotion of social and economic well being of the people as one of its cherished objectives to provide basic necessities of life to those citizens who are permanently or temporarily unable to earn their livelihood on account of infirmity, sickness or unemployment.
Senior Citizens are nearly 9.32 million (6 percent) to total population of the country and government is fully cognisant to take concrete measures to address the problems confronted by senior citizens, he added. "These efforts will change the living standards of senior citizens and will move forward in making Pakistan a senior citizens friendly state of the world," he remarked.