Daily Times

LAHORE: The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed on Sunday with the aim to provide equal rights to disabled persons.

A large number of ceremonies including seminars, walks and conferences were organized in this regard. An awareness walk was organised by Ghazali Education Trust in collaboration with Lahore Businessmen Association for Rehabilitation of Disabled (LABARD). It started from China Chowk and culminated at Governor House. Governor Rafiq Rajwana, Lord Mayor Lahore Col (r) Mubashir Javed, Federal Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) president Malik Tahir Javed, Provincial Minister for Special Education Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq and people from all walks of lives were present on occasion. After the walk a painting competition was also organised at LCCI.

While addressing the event, the speakers said that special persons deserved special attention. “Therefore, this day reminds us our responsibilities regarding special persons. We should acknowledge that we cannot progress without solving problems of this community. The government should work for the welfare of disabled persons on a priority basis,” they said.

Governor Rafiq Rajwana said that special persons had talent, skills and perfection. “Therefore, we all should play our role in making them responsible citizens of society. If someone wants to learn how to spend his life, he should learn from special children who turn their weakness into their strength. There is nothing more than human welfare and such people who had spent their lives for the welfare of common men and society should remember them forever,” he added.

The governor further said that government was working for the provision of equal opportunities for the disable persons so that these people could play their role in the society. He said that all efforts were being made for education of these people and they were also being provided quota in the government jobs.

Provincial Minister Human Rights and Affairs of Minorities Khalil Tahir Sandhu said that it was our moral, social and religious obligation at individual and collective levels to make efforts for the welfare of special persons on the eve of International Day of Persons with Disabilities here on Sunday.

He said that the main objective of special person’s day was to create awareness about social and economic rights of special persons and make efforts to convert them into productive individuals. “Efforts to give special persons equal opportunities in all fields of society have been accelerated. The Punjab government is working on a comprehensive programme for the welfare of special persons,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, December 4^th 2017.