Int'l Senior Citizens' Day today
President, PM call for mitigating hardships of elderly
By Asim Hussain

ISLAMABAD—The senior citizen day is being observed today (Saturday) all over the world including Pakistan. The aim to observe the day is to highlight the importance and significance of the old people in the society.
In this connection, seminars, discussions and other functions will be held. Documentaries and debates will be telecast and broadcast on TV and Radio as well and special articles will be published in the newspapers to mark the day. President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have urged the public, private sector, non-government organisations, philanthropists to do all they can to mitigate the hardships of the elderly and to bring about comfort and happiness in their lives.
In their separate messages on the occasion of the International Day of Elderly Persons falling on Saturday (today) President and Prime Minister have urged citizens to celebrate the day in a befitting manner.
President Musharraf in his message on the auspicious occasion of the International Day of Elderly Persons said, "I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations and best wishes to the senior citizens of the country.
"Today, we are benefiting from modern amenities of life primarily due to the vital contribution made by the senior citizens in the prime of their youth for establishing a vibrant socio-economic infrastructure", Musharraf said.
"The most befitting manner in which we can express our gratitude to the senior citizens is to give them all possible and support and due respect in society in conformity with out religious, social and cultural traditions", he said.
On the occasion, "I urge the public and private sector, non-government organizations and philanthropists to do all they can to mitigate the hardships of the elderly and to bring aobut comfort and happiness in their lives", he said. "I would also like to exhort the youth to benefit from the experience and wisdom of the senior citizens in order to successfully confront the complex and diverse challenges of life" Musharraf stressed. On the other hand, PM on the occasion of the International Day of Elderly Persons, PM said I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations to the senior citizens of Pakistan.
"We owe a lot to our senior citizens and the elderly for the strenuous efforts they put in for the creation of Pakistan and also for the tremendous social and economic development that has taken place in the country over the last half a century", he maintained. "The government of Pakistan, cognizant of its duties, has taken a number of measures for the socio-economic well being of the senior citizens. Plans and schemes are also being contemplated for providing greater facilities to the senior citizens in accessibility to better medical treatment, old-age economic benefits, mobility and other spheres of life", PM said. "The government is fully committed to implementing the provisions of the International Conventions on Elderly Persons", he said.
He said the secret of success of developed countries, particularly those of the West lies in the fact that they continue to engage senior citizens as teachers, advisers and consultants in order to accelerate the pace of socio-economic development. This is a lesion that we in Pakistan ought to learn. "On this occasion, therefore, I urge upon the public and private sectors and in particular the Pakistani youth to draw upon the experience, skills and wisdom of senior citizens of the country to help achieve a better and more prosperous future for themselves", he held.