Daily Times

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi Thursday vowed to give voice to the voiceless deaf people of Kashmir and the differently-abled Kashmiris would be given voices through modern techniques so as the unheard voices from Kashmir could be heard globally.

Speaking to Pakistan’s first deaf Vloger Hassan Ali here at the Parliament House on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Shehryar Afridi said that the deaf community is deprived of their basic rights and they face challenges. He said that the PTI government has been working to facilitate the differently-abled persons.

Afridi said thousands of deaf people in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are voiceless and they need help. He said that the deaf are totally dependent on third persons for communications and there is a great need for helping them out.

Shehryar Afridi said that Kashmir Committee will form an Advisory Board to help bring the deaf and other differently-abled people with disabilities to the mainstream. He said that PTI would take steps to bring the people from marginalised groups to the mainstream.

“Due to continued inhuman physical and mental torture on Kashmiris by the Indian colonial regime in IIOJK, thousands of normal people have also turned deaf. On the other hand, the Indian occupying regime is turning deaf ears to their plight. We will give them voice so that their voices are heard globally,” he said.

Maimoona Awan, a volunteer working with the deaf people, in her briefing told Mr Afridi that around nine million deaf people in Pakistan are facing difficulties with their lives.

“We are working to empower deaf community in across Asia. 60 percent of them are from backward and underdeveloped areas so they can’t build a proper community of deaf people. Deaf community is most marginalised in across the world. Hassan is Pakistan’s first deaf Vloger who is producing Vlogs for deaf people,” she said.

Hassan Ali, on the occasion, briefed the Chairman on his passion to work and help the deaf community through his Vlog videos. He said that he had decided to produce Vlogs for educating the marginalized deaf people who have no other facility to learn about Pakistan and the world.