Silent fury: Differently-abled persons demand government jobs

Say 20 candidates should be appointed immediately

PESHAWAR: A large number of people suffering from hearing and speech impairments have urged Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to provide them with suitable jobs in government departments. 

Speaking at a sit-in held outside Peshawar Press Club, the protesters said they had sent a collective application to Khattak demanding jobs in government departments under a quota system. However, he had failed to pay attention to their demands.

According to a protester, they had been waiting for a response from the chief minister for a long time now.

“We now want the provincial government to immediately appoint 20 differently-abled candidates in various departments,” he said.

Demonstrators also threatened to continue their protest if their grievances are not addressed immediately.

“There is only a limited range of employment opportunities for people suffering from disabilities,” said a protester. “The government has bypassed us and appointed other people on the special quota reserved for us.”

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Association for the Deaf President Hamidullah Khan Chamkani said the government has failed to account for the needs of people suffering from disabilities.

“People with hearing and speech impairments in the other three provinces have been provided with jobs while those in K-P are still unemployed,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd,  2015.