Seminar highlights issues of differently-abled people

Ex-senator says delay in passing bill for rights of specially-abled people is alarming

ISLAMABAD: There is a dire need to promote inclusion of people with disabilities, specifically women living with disabilities in all spheres of life, said ex-senator Farhatullah Babar while speaking at a seminar on the ‘Rights of People with Disabilities Bill, 2018’. The seminar was organised by the Potohar Mental Health Association (PMHA).

“A comprehensive law at a national level should be put in place and the myth about people with disabilities should be challenged,” he added. He said the bill was in the Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights and PHMA should write a letter to the chairman of the committee for nominating people with disabilities in the committee for legislation.

He said that there should be an accurate definition for detailing the criteria under which someone would be considered as a person with disabilities.

In order to recognize old women, refugees and disable women in rural areas, there was a dire need to collect data and registration of the people with disabilities, he added.

Moreover, the speakers at the seminar raised reservations at delay in presenting the bill. Babar went on to add that it was highly alarming.

‘We need to see the person with disabilities as human beings rather than objects,’ said Bait-ul-Maal Assistant Legal Director Noreen Khan.

PHMA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Zulqnain Asghar said polling stations should be accessible as per the needs of people with disabilities as there was need to change in people’s mindset about the concept of specially abled people and postal ballot was just another form of exclusion by denying access to people living with disabilities.  

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2019.