LAHORE: Federal Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik said on Saturday that bright future was the destiny of nations which took extra care of distressed segments of society by enabling them to play their part in the economic building of the country.
The commerce minister, who is also the president of Lahore Businessmen Association for Rehabilitation of Disabled (LABARD), along with Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Malik Tahir Javaid inaugurated the LABARD Mela-2017 at Race Course Park.
Pervaiz Malik expressed pleasure that Lahore businessmen were fulfilling their corporate social responsibility by ensuring that all disabled children of the city were provided proper education and vocational training so that they could join mainstream economic activities.
Appreciating LCCI’s role in making the event a big success, he stated that the chamber was extending every possible help to the association for rehabilitation of disabled persons as they were an important segment of the society and their active participation was necessary for country’s development. He added that there was a need to launch specific programmes for training and education of disabled persons.
He stated that it was the duty of every citizen to play a crucial role in the economy, citing that over 10 per cent population of all the developing countries consisted of disabled persons that needed to be taken care of by the rest of 90 per cent in the larger interests of the whole society. He further added that everyone should cooperate with organizations like LABARD as around 200,000 physically challenged people were waiting for help in the suburbs of Lahore.
LCCI President Malik Tahir Javed suggested that frequency of LABARD Mela should be increased by arranging it twice a year. He said, “We all should make collective efforts for enhancing skills of special persons so that they could become useful members of the society.”
The LCCI president praised the organizers of the LABARD Mela and said that there was a provision in the law that directed private sector and public sector to employ special persons by up to two per cent. He assured that LCCI would continue to motivate its member companies to show a greater compliance with this law and may refer interested member companies to contact Job Placement Cell of LABARD to find suitable candidates.
The mela was attended by scores of people. Attendance by physically abled was also seen who thoroughly enjoyed the festival as many games and cultural activities were arranged for them.
LABARD Mela for special children has become an annual cultural event of the city since its initiation. It has become an occasion where large numbers of disabled people enjoy various entertainment activities.
More than 5,000 differently-abled children belonging to various institutions took part in fun activities at LABARD Mela.
LCCI Vice President Zeshan Khalil, Shaista Pervez Malik and various other officials were also present on the occasion.