On the occasion of the International Day for Disabled Persons, Punjab Social Welfare Department arranged a function in the honour of disabled persons to acknowledge the capabilities of blind people at public level.
Member National Assembly Pervaiz Malik, Secretary Social Welfare Haroon Rafique, representatives of Punjab Welfare Trust for the disabled and a large number of blind persons from various districts were present on the occasion.
Addressing the participants, Secretary Haroon Rafique said the Punjab chief minister is willing to introduce facilities for rehabilitation of disabled on the pattern of developed countries and the dream of best economy and 100 percent literacy is incomplete without participation of disable persons. He said that Punjab Social Welfare Department has evolved a comprehensive policy for rehabilitation of disabled persons and services of Punjab Health Department will be acquired for this purpose.
He said that besides making disabled persons an active member of the society and their training and education, a clause of providing facilities of entrepreneurship has been included so that government departments should be bound to observe quota allocated for such persons so that they could earn their livelihood. He said that a certificate of disability will also be provided to special children during education so that they could benefit facilities allocated for them.
He said that more than 3,500 vacancies have been allocated for blind persons due to the efforts of Social Welfare Department and patronage of Punjab government, out of which, recruitments have been made on 1,500 vacancies while recruitments on remaining vacancies will be made after local bodies elections.
Representative of Pakistan Blinds Association appreciated the services of Social Welfare Department and said that although International Day for Blind Persons was observed in 2012 in Pakistan but, unfortunately, no steps had been taken in this regard. But as a result of special attention of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a lot of work has been done for blind persons. On the desire of meeting of deaf and dumb persons with chief minister, chief guest Pervaiz Malik said that chief minister is ready to take all possible steps for their rehabilitation. Malik said that he is representative of the chief minister and will convey all their demands to him.
President Punjab Welfare Truest for disabled persons, Dr. Amjad Saqib has said that rehabilitation of disabled persons is not only the responsibility of the state but every person of the society will have to play its role in this regard.
