SADIQABAD - Speakers at the Senior Citizens Fair held in Rahim Yar Khan stressed the need for caring and giving attention to the senior citizens of the society so that they could play a vital role for social development.

The fair was organised by the Help Age International and Jaag Welfare Movement. On the occasion, HAI Country Director Ajeeba K Aslam stressed the need for learning from the experience of our predecessors so that they could not be ignored. She added that the fair would reverberate across Pakistan.
Addressing the participants, MPA Javed Akbar said that in the Punjab Assembly, he would raise a voice for the senior citizens to timely ensure all the required facilities for them.
Adviser to Punjab Chief Minister for Health Khalid Shaheen said that the government would constitute a committee to ensure all the senior citizens-friendly facilities such as separate counters at public places. Former Punjab Bar Council president Raees Mumtaz stressed the need for legislation in order to address their grievances.
He also said, “We should raise awareness regarding protection of senior citizens’ rights according to our religious and cultural norms.”
Jaag Welfare’s Nazir Ahmad said that the fair’s resolution had demanded universal pension for unregistered labourers. In the fair, senior personalities of the district were presented awards as well. They included Mumtaz Mustafa, Dr Niaz Ahmad, Basheer, Amanat Ali, Nazir Ahmad, Maqsood Ahmad, Nazir Ahmad, Dr Muhammad Hussain, Javed Iqbal, Qadir Baksh and others among more than forty people.
Abdul Rab Farooqi said that in October, another such fair would be organised at the national level in a stadium and people from all the provinces of Pakistan would be invited to the fair.
Earlier, the fair was inaugurated with the recitation of Quranic verses. Then other programmes were also presented by various artistes. At stage, Krisan Lal Bail and his companions performed well and were appreciated and praised. Led by Muhammad Akram Nizami, artistes presented theatre in connection with the fair. Those presented their poems on the occasion included Khalid Mehmoud, Kashif, Shahbaz Nayyar, Saeed Nasir, Jabbar Sadiq and Anwar Sadaat.