ISLAMABAD, Oct 1, 2026: Speakers at a ceremony held at Movenpick Hotel Islamabad to mark the International Day of Older Persons called for effective policies, social protection and dignified care for senior citizens.
The event was jointly organised by the Federal Ministry of Human Rights and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It was attended by representatives of the government, civil society and other relevant institutions. Participants discussed the challenges faced by older persons and measures required to provide them better facilities and protection.
Addressing the ceremony, Federal Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said the occasion provided an opportunity to reflect on how society could better respond to the needs of older persons and how different institutions could work together for this purpose.
He stressed the need for effective laws, policies and their implementation so that older persons could receive proper support and protection. He said Pakistan must invest in its younger generation today, as the youth would become part of the country’s older population in the future.
The minister said the issues of older persons could not be addressed through advocacy alone, and required commitment and practical action. He said care for older persons was not limited to food and shelter, but also included love, respect, compassion and good behaviour.
He urged families to make time for their parents and elders and to value their lifelong sacrifices and services. “Serving parents is not a favour, but our responsibility and duty,” he said.
Senator Tarar said the care of older persons was a shared responsibility of the state and society. He said senior citizens must be provided basic facilities along with respect, dignity, affection and honour.
He also referred to the difficulties faced by low-income people and those working in the informal sector, saying that providing social protection to those facing poverty, ageing and limited access to care was an important responsibility of the state.
The minister said work was under way to develop an effective framework for people who were deprived of proper care and attention due to poverty and old age. He said government support, social responsibility and individual roles were all important for the protection of older persons.
He said various legal measures had been taken for the protection and welfare of older persons, adding that work had also been done on the law relating to senior citizens in the Islamabad Capital Territory. He said the legal and institutional framework for older persons was being further improved.
Senator Tarar said changes in the family system and economic conditions were affecting the traditional system of elderly care. He said Pakistan needed to prepare from now for the growing needs of senior citizens.
He also underlined the need for a proper retirement and old-age protection system for informal sector workers. He said a system based on contributions from employers and workers could provide financial security to informal workers after retirement. He added that pension was not only financial support, but also a means of self-respect and dignified living for senior citizens.
A representative of the Foundation for Ageing and Inclusive Development (FAID) also stressed the need to strengthen health facilities for older persons, particularly by improving services at basic health units and rural health centres. The representative said investment in youth today would help meet the needs of the future older population.
The ceremony also called for promoting intergenerational cooperation, strengthening links between universities and civil society, and using modern tools such as technology and artificial intelligence to better understand and address the issues faced by older persons.
At the conclusion of the event, participants expressed the resolve that raising voice for older persons was not enough, and that advocacy must be translated into practical measures so that senior citizens could live with health, respect, dignity and appropriate social protection.
