THERE were mixed feelings among senior citizens of Pakistan as the world observed the 36th International Day of Older Persons on October 01 October 1, 2026 to recognize the contributions of older people and address issues related to aging. This is because senior citizens in Pakistan face severe financial insecurity, inadequate healthcare and eroding family support systems, though recent provincial welfare legislation aims to address these systemic gaps,
Pakistan is home to roughly 13.5 million older people aged 60 and above, a number projected to surge toward 36 to 40 million by 2050. Despite this growing demographic, the elderly remain widely underserved across social and legal frameworks, a reality that runs contrary to the avowed commitment of the successive governments to provide comfort and extend social protection to all vulnerable segments of the society. It is a matter of grave concern that roughly 94% of the aged people have no steady income or safety net and the situation will complicate further in coming years/decades because of an anti-pension narrative by rulers, who are unable to take care of mere 6% of aged people getting pension as of now. Gradual breakdown of the joint family system is also creating enormous problems for millions of aged people who have been left in the lurch both by families and the State.
No doubt, the federal and provincial governments have taken some measures to provide relief to senior citizens. A case in point is the digital verification of pensioners, which has saved all pensioners from unnecessary fatigue of providing proof of their life twice in a year. The Punjab Government is also providing the facility of free travel to elderly in electric buses. More importantly, a solid foundation for a long-term change has been laid by enacting the Senior Citizens Welfare Act in the province that takes ageing out of the realm of charity and into public responsibility. Older people are recognized not as passive recipients of help, but as people with rights that the state must uphold. Similar approach is needed by other provinces besides ensuring financial help and healthcare through safety net programmes.
