KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that his government was planning to reserve seats of persons with disabilities in local bodies so that they participate in decision making at the local level.
“I am keen to invest in the rehabilitation of differently abled persons by establishing units in every district, but I need devoted, dedicated and God-fearing volunteers because this selfless service needs to be done with affection, personal care and love.”
This he said while speaking at the International Day of Persons with Disabilities programme organised by the provincial Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities on Friday at Banquet Hall of CM House. The day is observed on 3rd of December.
The programme was attended by provincial minister Sajid Jokhio, Parliamentary Secretary Kulsoom Chandio, Advisors, provincial secretaries and the host: the special assistant to CM on Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Sadiq Memon, his department Secretary Akhtar Bugti, and members of civil society and NGOs working for rehabilitation of differently abled persons.
The chief minister said that there was a dire need to work for rehabilitation of differently abled persons all over Sindh. “The Sindh government is ready to support genuine organisations to establish Autism centres, rehabilitation units for mental health conditions, intellectual disabilities, vision impairment and deaf or hard of hearing,” he said and added, “this is a very sensitive work which could be done merely with funds but it’s done with personal care, love, affection and dedication.”
He said that his representatives/ ministers who worked for empowerment of differently abled persons have completely changed their day-to-day life and in their approach to handling things. “The service to the persons with disabilities has given them [ministers] a spiritual satisfaction and the same satisfaction I have witnessed among the teachers, trainers, physiotherapists and volunteers serving to them [special persons],” he said.
Shah said that when he took over as a chief minister there was a department of Special Education with some schools where enrolment was very thin. “I have created a full-fledged department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities which has over 60 centres, some of them were devolved by the federal government to Sindh. We have worked on every kind of disability to bring them into the mainstream,” he said and added that he would further strengthen the newly established Sujawal rehabilitation centre.
The CM said that his government has enacted different laws to provide legal cover for the proper care, education, rehabilitation, and vocational training of the persons with disabilities. “I am trying my best to implement a 5 percent quota of differently abled persons in government departments’ jobs.” he vowed.
On the occasion, the differently abled children of different centres of different cities and NGO staged tableaus, national songs and one-act play were staged to observe their day.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021