LAHORE: The Punjab government is all set to introduce a senior citizens welfare law to develop systems to provide for the well-being, comfort and dignity of senior citizens as well as alleviate their sufferings.

The Standing Committee of the Cabinet on Legislative Business (SCCLB) has okayed a draft of Senior Citizens Welfare Bill 2024 that was prepared by the Punjab Social Welfare and Baitul Maal department.

The draft law suggests formulation of Citizens Welfare Council and establishment of a fund with seed money of Rs200 million. It also calls for establishment of Old Age Homes in all 41 districts of Punjab for unattended senior citizens in the districts where all necessities of life will be provided to them.

The draft law recommends that the proposed council will be empowered to grant financial assistance to poor and destitute senior citizens. The council will be able to provide free medical treatment, geriatric care and other facilities in hospitals.

Proposed legislation provides for old-age homes in all dists, free legal and medical aid

The proposed council will be empowered to collaborate with the bar councils to provide free legal aid to deserving senior citizens.

The council will maintain active coordination with print, electronic and social media to promote rights of the senior citizens.

The officials concerned say the draft law will look for inclusion of development projects for welfare of senior citizens. The social welfare department shall provide support to the NGOs working for the welfare of senior citizens.

The social welfare department plans to establish a toll-free helpline to provide support to the senior citizens, whose data shall also be compiled and maintained. The department will also be able to use technology/video conferencing in hospitals.

The department has forwarded the Senior Citizens Welfare Bill 2024 to the law and parliamentary affairs department to give it a legal shape and further necessary action.

It may be mentioned that the Council of Common Interests (CCI) had decided to formulate a policy framework for the senior citizen privileges in all provinces of Pakistan. Subsequently, the Punjab government assigned the task to implement the decision of the CCI to the Social Welfare and Baitul Maal department.

The department in coordination with HelpAge International, an NGO, formulated a Technical Working Group (TWG) comprising relevant government departments, representative of NGOs, CSOs, Lahore Bar Association, retired officers and academia and held several consultative sessions and workshops to deliberate upon the draft bill.

The women development, specialised healthcare and P&D Board had also given suggestions while the department picked and incorporated practicable suggestions. The P&D Board had proposed to constitute a committee to streamline the contours of the bill, while the finance department had raised queries especially regarding provision of seed money for the council which were addressed.

After completing the consultations, Social Welfare Minister Suhail Shoukat Butt and social welfare department secretary Javed Akhtar Mahmood pushed the draft bill through various legal and codal formalities.

The department had initiated a summary in July last year for Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and then moved the draft bill to the cabinet’s standing committee after her nod.

The Punjab cabinet will take up the draft law after clearance by the law and parliamentary affairs department before moving it to the Punjab Assembly for legislation.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2025