Daily Times

“Time and tide wait for no man”, as said by Geoffery Chaucer, is an undeniable truth that all humans must wholeheartedly accept. As time moves on, it is inevitable that humans will age and youth will turn to old. It is a natural progression of life that brings about many biological, psychological, and sociological changes in every human being.

The United Nations considers people aged 60 and above as elderly or senior citizens, likewise is the consideration in Pakistan. According to the latest United Nations Human Development Index Ranking report, almost 15 million people living in Pakistan are aged over 60 and the proportion of senior citizens is expected to increase by more than 2 times in the next 30 years with 40 million senior citizens. Furthermore, the average life expectancy is predicted to rise above 70 which raises greater alarming concerns as there will be a lesser proportion of employed people providing financial support to senior citizens.

Countries around the globe are recognizing the seriousness of this situation and their governments are striving and struggling to make effective policies to deal with the increasing problems of increasing senior citizens. Similarly, Pakistan has to deal with the situation along with other challenges like low economic growth, weak pension system, and lack of infrastructure for the elderly. In addition, elderly people are more susceptible to medical, social, and economic problems which usually appear above the age of 65. Medical problems arise because their minds and bodies begin to weaken.

older people are more prone to suffer from illnesses than people of a younger age group. Besides physical ailment, older people are more likely to be victims of distorted mental health. They no longer trust their own capability or judgments but still, they wish to have authoritative control over the younger members of a household. Unfortunately, in Pakistan, there is a lack of medical aid and insufficient public health services available for the elderly. The social aspect, which the elderly have to deal with, has further deteriorating implications for them.

We live in a society where people have certain rights and responsibilities on others, as we age the responsibilities increase and the social role that we have to play becomes ever more important. These days improved education and rapid technological change has made the younger generation sufficiently capable to make their own choices without consulting their elders, this often results in a feeling of isolation, alienation and loneliness in the elderly which is likely to become worse if they are financially dependent on the younger generation.

Elderly people face a myriad of challenges, the most important being financial insecurity. The proportion of old age dependency on the younger generation is increasing significantly, with a greater contribution from rural rather than urban areas. Elderly women, especially widows, face many disadvantages. These women are put into a difficult position due to the laws regarding ownership of property, assets, and sometimes inheritance divided among siblings. Furthermore, there is also no government support but pension, which is restricted to the employees of the public sector.

Few days back I met Prof, Asghar Zaidi Vice Chancellor of Government College University, Lahore, a prominent Pakistani scholar who has done remarkable work on aging issues in Pakistan. When I asked him about old age issues in Pakistan he said, “Ageing is not recognized explicitly in existing human rights standards, which makes it possible for governments to ignore people’s rights as they grow older. Age is just a number. Eliminating all forms of age discrimination and providing an environment in which older people are protected from violence and abuse will help them exercise their choices and contribute to society”. Further, he added, “Pakistan has taken some very positive steps in the form of legislation for the protection of the rights of older people in three of its provinces (KP, Sindh, and Baluchistan). However, there is still a significant implementation gap between policy and practice”.
Senior citizens are considered the most revered members of our society but their treatment is quite the contrary.

Old age is an inevitable part of human life but people fear old age and the youth should aim to create a place where they do not fear old age or consider it a difficulty but look forward to it as a time of ease where they can feel dignified and have their loved ones affection for them in their time of need. This aim cannot be achieved instantly through administrative means it requires the utmost importance and urgency by the common people of society to bring light to the problems of the elderly. The solution is not law and new rules and regulations, the actual and effective solution lies with the people themselves. If they start treating the senior citizen with respect and care then this issue will cease to exist. It is our collective moral duty to raise voice against the crimes and abuses done to the elderly. It is a horrific fact that the abusers of the elderly are not strangers but people whom the elderly are blood-related or very closely related to.

The elderly of society has reached a point in their life where they don’t ask for much. All they need is extra care, affection, and support because they have become physically, mentally, socially, and financially weak. So next time you behave poorly with a senior citizen put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself what have they done for this kind of treatment? Would you also expect this kind of behavior in your old age? It takes just a small effort of empathy to make the world a better place.

The write is a faculty member at Government College University, Lahore. She can be reached at robiashaheen@gcu.edu.pk