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RAWALPINDI, Nov 02 (APP):The Punjab Social Welfare Department is all set for a grand divisional ceremony on November 4 to distribute high-end assistive devices to people with disabilities (PWDs) across Rawalpindi Division. Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Sohail Shaukat Butt will be the chief guest while parliamentarians and high ranked official will also attend the event.
The event will also mark the launch of the third phase of the flagship Himmat Card initiative, providing quarterly financial assistance of Rs10,500.0 directly into beneficiaries’ accounts.
Rukhsana Mazhar Awan, focal person and Deputy Director of Social Welfare for Rawalpindi Division, confirmed in an exclusive interaction with APP on Sunday that all arrangements for the ceremony were in place. “Approximately 75 PWDs from entire division including Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and local areas will receive advanced assistive aids including motorized wheelchairs, tri-motorcycles, and manual wheelchairs,” Rukhsana said.
She informed that the devices are of superior quality, which reflects the government’s dedication to promoting independence and improving the quality of life for the differently-abled.
For the welfare of the underprivileged and the differently disabled persons, CM Maryam Nawaz has rolled out a series of initiatives, Himmat Card, Dhee Rani and assistive devices are among the flagship schemes with wide acknowledgment.
The ceremony, encompassing the entire division, will also invite around 50 selected PWDs for Himmat Card issuance, building on the program’s remarkable success in its first two phases. According to the latest District Social Welfare Department report, Phases I and II have delivered financial relief to 2,263 individuals in Rawalpindi district alone, with 2,495 cards distributed division-wide. Rawalpindi City/Cantt/Saddar, Gujar Khan, Kahuta, Kallar Syedian, Murree, Kotli Sattian, and Taxila have resulted in high distribution rates, leaving just 232 cards pending due to verification issues such as missing CNIC details, absent beneficiaries, untraceable phone numbers, and account discrepancies. Of the pending cases, 114 cards are physically available, 64 are blocked awaiting clearance and the remaining involve minor technical or documentation hurdles, with one case returned following the recipient’s death.
Rukhsana noted the progress as ‘encouraging’, crediting door-to-door verifications and mobile teams for their dedicated rendering.
To a question, the Focal Person urged the eligible families to update biometrics and contact details at the nearest offices to resolve pending cases.
The welfare programme of the assistive devices aims to benefit over 100,000 special persons from across the province.