WHILST setting aside all security protocol, President Arif
Alvi welcomed the differently abled persons on Tuesday at Aiwan-e-Sadr and distributed amongst them customized wheelchairs. Addressing a ceremony on the occasion, he directed the NADRA and Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal to start the process of registration of disabled persons.
According to some estimates, about ten to fifteen per cent population of Pakistan is faced with some kind of disability and their proper registration at the national level categorizing the different forms of disability will definitely help the government formulate policies to mitigate the variety of barriers and problems they are faced with. This will also enable both the federal and provincial governments to easily reach out to them and provide the assistance they are required including in the form of assistive devices. President Arif Alvi, who has opened the doors of the presidency for the first time for the general public, indeed deserves appreciation for taking the problems of the disabled persons very seriously and we are confident that he will spare no effort to bring these special persons into the mainstream. The fact of the matter is that in some areas these special persons have proved to be high achievers. The performance of blind cricket team is before everybody. We understand that by making them part of decision-making bodies and nominating them to the national, provincial assemblies and local bodies will also go a long way in their mainstreaming. There is also need to change approach towards persons with disability from charity to rights by treating them as equal citizens. A comprehensive legislation aligned with UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Sustainable Development Goals needs to be enacted in order to ensure that the differently abled persons get their due rights. Genuine steps need to be taken to address accessibility issues of differently abled persons at public parks and buildings. In order to economically empower and make them self-reliance, five per cent quota for them in public sector organizations be ensured besides special technical training programs be launched for them in order to equip them with different market oriented skills.
