LAHORE, Dec 05 (APP):Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) Punjab on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan Friday said that it was a responsibility of healthy people to create ease in the lives of differently-abled people.
Addressing an event, organised in connection with the World Disability Day under the aegis of Hum Mashal-e-Rah Foundation here, she said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had always talked about disenfranchised segments of society.
Dr Firdous said that the mission of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was to uplift the downtrodden and weaker sections of society as all the government policies revolve around them. She said that respect and service to thew differently-abled people was a social responsibility and obligation.
She said that Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar initiated different projects on the pattern of Riasat-e-Madina and recently inaugurated Bahimat Buzurg programme for welfare of weak and elderly people. She added that the first-ever special education policy had been approved in the history of the province under which a comprehensive strategy had been evolved for providing education, health and other facilities to differently-abled children.
She said that around 585 teachers had been recruited in special education department through Punjab Public Service Commission. She mentioned that the government had provided 51 buses at a cost of Rs 330 million this financial year whereas 12 buses were provided last year to provide free travel facility to special students.
She said that the government had set up nine new special education centres in Muzaffargarh, Rawalpindi, Bhakkar, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Khanewal and Layyah.
Moreover, secondary schools for girls have been set up in Sahiwal and Bahawalpur and degree colleges in Sargodha and DG Khan as well. The government has also upgraded special education institutions in 14 districts of Punjab, she informed.
She said that free books had been provided in the libraries of 147 special education institutes of the province at a cost of Rs 4 million. Modern courses were being introduced for special children to provide information technology and forensic science education to these children so that they may become useful citizens of the society, she added. She said that the Punjab government was providing free books to special students with a monthly stipend of Rs 800 besides pick-and-drop facility, uniforms and hostel facility.
Later, addressing the media, Dr Firdous said that the PTI has entered into the corridors of power in a constitutional way and its government can’t by toppled by mere wishes of Maryam Nawaz. She said that the entire Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leadership was morally handicapped. These people have fallen into enmity to such an extent that they were playing with the lives of their own workers for the sake of their nefarious intentions and to save their looted money, she added.
She said that the political parties that have been in power for years have crippled the country’s economy, institutions and political system and made the people political slaves. She said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan that day was not far when institutions and people would be set free from political slavery.
She said that the government was least bothered about the threats by opposition. The opposition should not waste its energy and precious time of the nation by holding the rallies but adopt a constitutional way and bring a vote of no-confidence against the government, she advised.
