The visually impaired people lost their patience on third day of their protest in front of Punjab Assembly (PA) on Wednesday. The protestors pelted bricks at the door of PA when the session was in progress while some barge into the assembly premises.
“I don’t want to be recruited on reserved quota for special persons. I have been applying for various posts for past twelve years but still unable to get any job,” a visually impaired Shafqat Ali said, while talking to Pakistan Today, who has Master of Arts (MA) degree in Islamic studies from Islamia University, Bahawalpur. He further said that he had passed many written exams and applied for various jobs but was not called for an interview just because of being visually impaired. Ali has come to Lahore all the way from Multan in search of a respectable as per his qualification.
While talking to Pakistan Today, Amir Mubashar, resident of Gujranwala, said that his three brothers and two sisters are blind. He had passed the intermediate exam and was seeking a job so that he could support his family.
Another protester, Hafiz Abid Hussain, hailing from Chakwal, told the scribe that he teaches Quran to the students and barely earns 9000 per month. He expressed his wish to be recruited as Moaza’n (one who calls for prayer) in the Auqaf Department.
The protestors said that despite the government has reserved three percent quota for special persons yet they are unable to find jobs.
It is pertinent to mention here that a few months back, the blind people were severely beaten by the police at the same place for protesting.
Maqsood Malik, another visually impaired who holds a MA History and Political Science degree, told Pakistan Today that the best and most suitable profession for them is teaching.
“We can serve in education sector as teachers, in telecommunication sector as telephone operator and in Auqaf department,” he concluded.
The protesters chanted slogans against the government and demanded of the government to provide them jobs.
A group of visually impaired were called in by Law Minister Rana Sanaullah for negotiations but no news of successful dialogue came out till the filling of this report. Sanaullah and director general Special Education were contacted for their comments but they were not available.
