In a laudable anti-discriminatory verdict the Lahore High Court has directed the federal government to appoint two visually impaired persons - who had qualified the Central Superior Services (CSS) exams with distinction - in the group of their choice. One of the petitioners had opted for the District Management Group (DMG) and the other for the Foreign Service as per options available to all best performers. But the government had forced them to join the information group, saying the Federal Public Service Commission did not allow induction of blind/disabled persons in eight groups, including the ones desired by the petitioners despite having proved themselves worthy of any of these services on open merit. Terming the rules discriminatory and violative of the fundamental rights, the LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah struck down section 9 (2) of the competitive examination rules that restricted visually impaired persons to specific groups: information, audit and accounts, commerce and trade, and postal service.
It may be recalled that a few months ago a similar case had come up before the LHC when a visually impaired candidate, who had qualified in the required test and interview for a position in the education department, was refused appointment, and the court had ordered his immediate appointment. These cases have come to light because the affectees went to court to demand fair treatment; countless others continue to be denied the right to employment. Last year in Punjab, blind persons had to stage several protest demonstrations against the government's reluctance to implement an already agreed job quota. Sad as it is, far from making a conscious effort to rid this society of prejudice and ignorance, provincial and federal governments are insistent on perpetuating something that should be an anathema to any civilised people.
Needless to say, physical disability may make an individual a little different but not any less of a person; in fact some of them can do even better than those regarded as fully fit, like the present case amply demonstrates. The two visually impaired candidates beat most of their sighted competitors in the highly competitive CSS exams and interview to emerge among the top few. There are countless examples of such people distinguishing themselves in different fields of human endeavour. One recent example is that of David Blunkett, who was born blind, and rose to be a prominent politician in Britain. He held different cabinet positions from Education and Employment Secretary, to Home Secretary, and Education and Employment Secretary before going on to serve as an academic. It is about time policy makers in this country too jettisoned prejudice and did right by people with physical disabilities.