Senior Citizen Foundation of Pakistan (SCFP) Lahore chapter President Maj-Gen (r) Ashraf Chaudhry on Sunday called upon the Punjab government to set up old age homes across the province and provide all basic facilities to the elderly people.
Talking to APP, he said that the country needs to develop a national health policy on ageing, which would help integrate the ageing population and provide them with better social security and healthcare.
He said that a recent WHO report showed that 5.6 per cent population of Pakistan was above 60 years of age.
According to the report, 47 per cent elderly men and 24 per cent women were forced to work hard for earning their livelihood and sometimes they are tortured physically and mentally.
Having spent years toiling to build the future of their country and their children, senior citizens find themselves on the margins of society, he added.
To a question, he said that the number of old homes was on the rise in Lahore as the new generation did not realise their responsibility of looking after their parents and family elders. They are so much busy in their personal lives that they find it as a burden to keep their parents/ elders with them.
He regretted that the new generation was becoming more materialistic and their attitude towards parents was changing.