300 disabled people receive special NICs

A round 300 disabled people were given special national identity cards at a ceremony held at the Aga Khan Hospital on Saturday.
A memorandum of understanding was also inked among NADRA, the Sindh Special Education Department, the Sindh Labour Department and the Network of Organisations Working for People with Disabilities on the occasion.
Under the one-window operation, 10,000 cards will be issued across Sindh in six months. Disabled people no longer need to go to several departments for acquiring the cards but would be issued special national ID cards from one place.
Disabled people would also able to enjoy two percent job quota on these cards and all other facilities provided to them under law.
Later, talking to the media, Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister for Special Education Imtiaz Shaikh said that it is a revolutionary step taken by the Sindh Special Education Department for the welfare of disabled people.
“Prior to this, disabled people had to go five places for acquiring their cards however now one window operation has been launched,” he added.
He said on February 11, 2012, 131 special people were given cards at the Aga Khan Hospital.
Cards would also be issued in Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Nawabshah, Sukkur, Shikarpur and Jacobabad under the one-window operation.
NADRA Deputy Chairman Tariq Malik said that the authority has issued 0.25 million cards to disabled people so far. “However, this is first time that the one-window operation has been launched in Sindh,” he added.
He said the special cards had no fee and were being issued free of charge.
Network of Organisations Working for People with Disabilities President Amin Hashwani also spoke on the occasion.