Demanding attention: Tribespeople with disabilities protest against govt

Say govt left them at mercy of Maliks, Khans who unjustly distribute funds

PESHAWAR: People with disabilities in Khyber Agency protested against the government for ignoring their demands.

Gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club on Monday, they criticised authorities for not providing them with basic human rights, which even the Constitution granted them.

“Under the Constitution, there is a two-percent employment quota for people with disabilities, but that has never been implemented in tribal areas,” Tahir Khan, who was leading the protest, said. He demanded the government ensure the provision of this quota for disabled persons in government jobs, adding funds should be directly distributed among them. “People with disabilities should be provided opportunities through which they can live honourably,” he said.

Tahir added even if the government provided some funds, “they came through corrupt Khans and Maliks of the area who never transferred money to the people for whom it was allocated.”

He also said there were no school, hospital or other basic facility for people in the tribal areas.

According to Tahir, although there has been no collection of data for calculating the number of people with disabilities present in tribal areas, he said the number will definitely be higher than the one estimated from settled areas of the country. The demonstration leader said this was due to wars that had taken place in the region.

Voicing grievances

“The government has to give us attention,” Abdur Rahman, who is disabled by both his legs, told The Express Tribune.  “It is the responsibility of the government to provide us with our rights which the law grants us since we are citizens of this country.”

Rahman also said people with disabilities were the most marginalised segment of society and were left at the mercy of Maliks and Khans of tribal areas by the government.

“In other parts of the world, those with disabilities have opportunities that are available to other people. They can become athletes, have access to education and are welcome everywhere, but this is not the case here,” he complained.

The protesters dispersed later, but have planned to continue their demonstrations against the federal and provincial governments until their demands were met.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2016.