PTI chief Imran Khan addressing the ceremony at a local hotel in Islamabad. PHOTO: SANA
The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday unveiled its policy for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), promising that these people would be granted their due rights and integrated into mainstream society.
PTI Chief Imran Khan lamented the government’s failure to empower PWDs in the country.
“Persons with disabilities are not being given the basic rights which government authorities have pledged to them,” he said.
Khan said PTI, if voted into power, would allocate space for PWDs in the national and provincial budgets.
Meanwhile, disabled students who want to pursue higher education will be provided scholarships.
According to the policy, “PTI will acknowledge, facilitate and empower all PWDs, enabling them to lead independent and self-fulfilling lives.”
The policy states PTI will raise awareness about the integration of PWDs and will work towards the prevention of certain avoidable disabilities through early diagnosis and medical treatment.
PTI’s disablilty wing leader Atif Sheikh said that 15 percent of Pakistanis were disabled.
He added that this was the first time a political party had drafted a policy on the rights of PWDs.
The policy, among other things, guarantees implementation of the Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance 1981.
The ordinance allocates PWDs a two percent quota in federal government jobs.
A parliamentary panel on Capital Administration and Development was informed in November 2012 meeting that almost half of the quota posts are vacant.
Sheikh said a majority of disabled people live in rural areas where facilities to improve their basic accessibility are scarcely provided.
Khan also promised his supporters at the policy launch that the “PTI’s tsunami” would reach Minar-e Pakistan in Lahore by March 23, travelling on the newly operating Metro Buses.
He said PWDs would be granted a designated area at the gathering.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2013.
COMMENTS (23)
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@Queen: you must know that only PML-N in Punjab is giving opportunity to deaf and disabled peoples here ... in other provinces you can't hear anything for deaf and disabled peoples ... you must know that i am a deaf person and i better know than you that PML-N is much favouring party for disabled peoples ... they have put events in recently ended Punjab International Your Festival ... VIP treatment for deaf peoples ... Indian Deaf Team was invited by me under Pakistan Deaf Sports Association and Punjab Deaf Sports Association ... you could debit with me anytime at facebook ... do contact with me if you have dare :)
PTI u r great well done IMRAN khan PTI JINDABAD
Pakistan's only hope !
My only hope, PTI.
For all the people here "wishing" about PTI to come to power and again "wishing" that people of Pakistan "sense the change" or "open their eyes" to support it - It is yours (mine) responsibility to urge people to go vote for PTI. IK did what he could - he showed us the plans, he showed us the will & courage to challenge the status quo - but now the responsibility lies with us, each one of us, to help others (not-so-educated-majority of Pakistan) understand the meaning of this change and convince them to stand up for it and vote for it.
Just "wishing" is not going to do much.
good concern, but mind you, these are developed world policy matters.....nevertheless someone has to make a start......keep it up.
Very nice to hear this. Regardless,all pakistanis please its time to realize imran is the ideal and only man right now for pakistan. Forget about all the other parties and i really mean all of them. Vote for him and wait and watch. You will never regret
Great work by PTI. Thanks to ET for covering this event.
Simply Superb. THIS IS CHANGE.
VOTE FOR PTI to bring this CHANGE.
great leader
PTI! u r just AWESOME!!
UN convention on the rights of the persons with disabilities require everyone to use the word person with disabilities and nothing else. PWD widely used is also riscouraged by the UN convention.
PTI zindabad, Imran Khan zindabad
Good going PTI! This is an excellent initiative.
Can PTI please come out with a proper policy paper on its security policy, especially detailing police reform?
Proud of PTI!
Copy Paste...and here we go...PTI looking like a third category development consultant....
This is unheard of in Pakistan! PTI is its own league not some XYZ party!
The world of Pakistanis has no room for differently abled people. See our buildings, our services, parking spaces, bathrooms in public places and everywhere; it seems we don't have people who are differently abled.
PTI should be commended on presenting this policy.
There was a propaganda against PTI, how it will bring change? Now party is unfolding plan gradually and propaganda will die and people start sensing and feeling the change.
I wonder whether the PML-N has the ability to do anything similar. Great work PTI.
Great work -half of the population and all of politicians dont have a clue of what you doing here
Please put it the way they've done 'differently abled', this is the right word for those special people. With the work PTI has done in every field for last one year or so, I think they would have had landmark success in any country where people use their brains instead of family, friend affiliations. I hope people of Pakistan opened their eyes and vote for them. Great great effort by PTI.