MULTAN, Feb 28 (APP): Begum Samina Arif Alvi on Monday said the differently-abled persons should be provided job opportunities by imparting them technical skills to bring them in the national mainstream.
According to a World Health Organization report, she said, 15 per cent of Pakistan’s population comprised differently abled persons, who if given skills training, could contribute significantly to the country’s development, besides keeping up their self-respect and dignity and improving their living standards at the same time.
Addressing the ceremony ‘Apna Rozgaar’, held under the auspices of non- governmental organization ‘Taray Zameen Per’ (TZP) here, Samina Alvi said the government had allocated 5 percent job quota for the disabled persons and was undertaking all-out efforts to fully utilize their potential and capabilities.
“The government has directed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and other departments to ensure the five percent jobs quota for differently abled persons,” she added.
Samina Alvi underlined the need for thorough assessment of the capabilities of the disabled persons so that they could be provided jobs accordingly. It would help harness their potential fully for the country’s development, she added.
She said the society needed a paradigm shift in its traditional mindset of considering the disabled kids as burden, who should be rather made self-reliant through education and skill training.
She said the roads in cities and towns, besides all public facilities, must be designed in a way to make them fully accessible to the disabled persons.
An inclusive environment, she stressed, must be ensured for the disabled persons, be it education at schools, colleges or universities or availing facilities at public places, so they must not feel isolated in the society.
Begum Samina Alvi on the occasion distributed three customized and disabled-friendly rickshaws and five wheelchairs with special trays fixed which could be used to display items by the disabled persons to earn livelihood.
Earlier, TZP Chief Executive Officer Ms Fadia Kashif briefed Begum Alvi about her organization’s welfare activities for the disabled persons. She said the TZP had donated machinery and health instruments for cardiac surgery of kids at Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi Instuitute of Cardiology (CPEIC).
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs and PTI’s Chief Whip at the National Assembly Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, Special Assistant to the PM on e-Commerce Senator Syed Aon Abbas Bappi, besides many industrialists, business tycoons and philanthropists attended the ceremony.
APP/atf-ifi
