Daily Times

Sir: Recent news about the school bus staff which assaulted two disabled children sheds light on the fact that despite tall claims by the government, persons with disabilities (PWDs) continue to suffer in Pakistan. Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident, suspended the school principal and charged the school bus employees for assaulting disabled children, but this is damage control, nothing more!

It is important to mention the Convention on the Rights of PWD’s here. The convention promotes, protects and ensures the full and equal availability of all human rights and fundamental civil liberties for all PWD’s and entitles them to dignity.

Therefore, every possible effort should be made to take all possible measures to eliminate discrimination against them on the basis of their disabilities. Such persons must be given their due rights and fare share so they can be enabled to contribute to the development of the country in an active manner.

The Pakistan Government has initiated a number of projects for the education, vocational training, job placement and rehabilitation of PWD’s so that they can become self reliant citizens of Pakistan but much remains to be done. Special efforts are needed to deal with individuals with cognitive disabilities, specifically young women. Furthermore, the election year will be upon us soon and all polling stations must be accessible to PWD’s so that they may also exercise their right to vote.

PWD’s require society’s protection; therefore the government should focus on the problems they face. Only words will not do anything. They must be backed with action.

Syed Ali Mukhtar Jafari

Lahore

Published in Daily Times, October 25^th 2017.