An elderly Pakistani may own a house, have educated children and enjoy respect within the family, yet lack enough money to pay for medicines.

An elderly father sits at the dining table, looking at a prescription. He knows the medicines will cost several thousand rupees. His son has just paid the electricity bill and bought groceries for the household. The grandchildren’s school fees are due next week. He folds the prescription and puts it aside.

I am not describing a particular family. It is a situation that can arise in Pakistani homes where older parents have little income of their own. A father who once managed every household expense may now have to ask his son for money. The son may be generous and never refuse. Still, the father remembers when he could buy what he needed without consulting anyone.

At my stage of life, retirement is no longer something I observe from a distance. Some receive pensions. Others have savings or rental income. Many continue working because they cannot afford to retire. I also wonder about those who spent their working lives supporting their children but made little provision for themselves.

Pakistan celebrates the sacrifices parents make for their families. What happens when those parents grow old and need money themselves?

In Pakistan, Children Often Become the Pension

Pakistan’s 2023 population census recorded roughly 13.5 million people aged 60 and above, representing about 5.6 percent of the population.

Pakistan has several retirement arrangements, each serving a different section of society. Government employees who meet relevant service requirements generally receive pensions under applicable rules. Formal private-sector workers may qualify through the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), while some employers provide provident funds or gratuity.

Contract workers face a more complicated position. Their entitlement depends on applicable law, employment arrangements and whether the responsible employer complied with registration and contribution requirements. Working inside a large company does not automatically make someone eligible for that institution’s employee pension.

Shopkeepers, domestic workers, daily-wage earners and other people outside effective pension coverage can work for decades without a reliable monthly retirement income. The World Bank’s research on life-cycle savings in Pakistan describes the challenge of saving in a labour market with widespread informality. Assets may consist mainly of a house that generates no regular cash. For many people, the practical retirement arrangement is simpler: their children will look after them.

Parents Who Spend Their Savings on Their Children

A salaried father may spend much of his working life paying school fees and meeting household expenses. University education can consume a substantial share of income. Later, the family may help children establish themselves or arrange marriages.

In many families, the decision is deliberate. Parents believe their children’s education will improve the family’s position. They also expect successful children to help them in old age. Support passes from one generation to the next, often without written agreements.

Suppose a father uses his retirement savings to help a son start a business. The business may succeed, and the son may later support his parents comfortably. But what if it fails? The father cannot easily recover the money. Parents sometimes treat spending on children as an investment in the family’s future, yet family support offers no guaranteed return.

When One Salary Supports Several Generations

Consider a working man in Karachi who lives with his wife, children and elderly parents. His salary pays for food and utilities, school expenses and transport. His father needs regular medicines. His mother may require medical appointments.

One brother lives abroad and sends money occasionally. Another earns less. A married sister visits the parents, accompanies them to hospital and spends hours arranging treatment. The brother who pays bills may feel he carries the heaviest burden. The sister may feel her unpaid care receives little recognition.

A hospital visit can consume an entire working day. Someone must collect reports and speak with doctors. Families often recognise financial contributions more readily because they appear as amounts of money.

The parents may understand the pressure. Some reduce their own expenses rather than become a burden. A father may postpone replacing spectacles. A mother may avoid mentioning pain because another consultation costs money.

When a Father Has to Ask His Son for Money

Money changes relationships inside a household. A father who once decided how the family income would be spent may now receive an allowance from his son. He may be grateful. But receiving money is different from controlling it.

Imagine two retired men who each receive Rs 20,000 a month. One receives the amount directly into his account and decides when to buy medicines. The other depends on his son to pay each expense. Their freedom to make everyday decisions is different.

Shared finances can work well when older parents participate in decisions and retain access to money. Problems arise when support turns into control. A parent may be questioned about small purchases or pressured to surrender assets. Such situations should not be confused with ordinary disagreements about affordability. Consent and control matter.

A Widow May Own Property but Have No Cash

Many Pakistani women have spent decades managing homes and caring for children without paid employment. Their work has supported the earnings of other family members but may not produce an employment-based pension.

After a husband’s death, a widow may receive a survivor’s pension, own property or have savings. Others have little income in their own names. A widow may have a legal inheritance share but struggle to obtain control of it. Family members may manage the estate, and disputes can delay distribution.

A woman who never handled banking transactions may depend on children for access to money legally belonging to her. The difficulty grows if she cannot read documents or afford legal advice. A name on an inheritance document does not necessarily provide cash for daily expenses.

The Family House Can Hide Financial Insecurity

An elderly couple in Karachi may own a house purchased decades earlier. Property prices may have risen, leaving them with a valuable asset on paper. Their monthly income may still be small.

The house provides accommodation, but it cannot automatically pay for medicines or electricity. Selling it would require finding another home. Renting part might generate income, although circumstances may make that difficult.

Some parents transfer property to children during their lifetime, hoping to simplify future arrangements. Such decisions require caution. The Sindh Senior Citizens Welfare Act, 2014 contains provisions concerning senior citizens and certain property transfers; the application of any remedy depends on the circumstances. Parents should seek independent legal advice before surrendering ownership of their main asset.

When Brothers Stop Sharing Their Parents’ Expenses

One brother pays for medicines. Another pays the electricity bill. A third promises to contribute after receiving his salary. The arrangement works until someone stops paying.

Reasons may be genuine: a job disappears or a business fails. Yet the remaining siblings must find additional money. Resentment develops, and the parents hear the arguments.

Property can make the dispute worse. A child providing most care may expect a larger share of the family home, while other heirs object. Caregiving and inheritance entitlements should not be confused. A family can recognise a child’s contribution without assuming support automatically changes legal ownership.

The Limits of Pakistan’s Pension System

Pakistan’s pension arrangements reflect its divided labour market. A retired government employee may have a predictable pension. A qualifying private-sector worker may receive EOBI benefits. Someone who spent a lifetime in informal work may have no regular pension.

Even for recipients, adequacy matters. A pension that covers ordinary expenses may fail when chronic illness brings repeated treatment costs. Pakistan does not have a universal old-age pension for every citizen. Social assistance reaches eligible households but cannot be assumed to cover every older person.

A means-tested old-age benefit is one possible policy approach. Better access to savings and pensions for informal workers is another. Both require decisions about financing and administration. Affordable healthcare matters too, because medical expenses can consume whatever income an older person receives.

Families Need to Discuss Money Before Retirement

Parents may consider it inappropriate to discuss how much support they expect. Children may avoid the subject because they fear appearing unwilling to fulfil their responsibilities. Silence can continue until illness forces quick decisions.

Parents should know what income they can expect, what savings remain and how medical expenses will be managed. Adult children should distinguish occasional help from a permanent monthly commitment. Siblings can discuss contributions according to their circumstances, recognising caregiving time as well as cash.

Older parents should retain access to their documents and banking information. If they own property, they should obtain independent advice before transfers that affect their security. These measures cannot solve poverty, but they may reduce avoidable disputes.

The Difference Between Being Supported and Being Independent

I return to the elderly father with the prescription. His son may give him the money without hesitation, and continue doing so for years. Many Pakistani families care for their parents with extraordinary patience.

But I also think about those with no dependable support: a widow whose children live elsewhere, a retired contract worker without a pension, or a couple whose savings disappeared during a medical emergency.

Pakistan has long depended on children to provide for ageing parents. The arrangement becomes less secure when younger generations struggle with their own expenses.

An elderly father may receive his medicines every month. Whether he can buy them without asking anyone is another matter.

Sources and further reading

• Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2023 Census
• Pakistan Economic Survey 2024–25
• World Bank research on Pakistan

Related reading

Why Pakistan’s Household Budget Still Feels Broken examines the pressure on family income. Why the Doctors’ Tax Dispute Could Affect Patients explores out-of-pocket medical costs.