Conference: ‘Give persons with disabilities their rights’

Pakistan currently houses 17.5 million persons with disabilities (PWDs), yet no effort to secure their rights.

ISLAMABAD:

Participants at a conference on Saturday unanimously made demands to secure the rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The conference was organised by IRADAH and District Support Group.

Speaker sat the conference unanimously made demands to secure the rights of PWDs which include National Assembly representation, inclusive education in all educational and vocational institutions, monthly stipends for disabled children, priority healthcare and exemptions from taxes.

The conference highlighted that Pakistan currently houses 17.5 million people with disabilities, but there has not been a coordinated effort yet to secure their rights. In light of the demands, a coalition movement was initiated involving 25 activists and various NGOs to lobby with government institutions to make more resources available for persons with disabilities. IRADAH would serve as the coalition’s secretariat while Zulqurnain Asghar, South Asia’s first visually impaired psychologist, would work as its convenor.

In his speech, Dr Fazal Tarique criticised the media on spotlighting issues like law and order, inflation and terrorism, but ignoring a large segment of the population [with disabilities]. He vowed to raise these issues in the National Assembly and to help pass necessary legislation.

Research papers on persons with disabilities were also discussed in the conference.

Director General Special Education Mustafain Kazmi, MNA Dr Fazal Tariq and Dr Naeem Tariq from Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) were in attendance. Thirty NGOs and government sector institutions participated in the conference.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2011.