Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Islamabad

Pakistan Association of the Blind (PAB) Monday sought four per cent reserved seats for special persons in the Parliament in the upcoming constitutional
package, expected to be announced soon.

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club here, General Secretary PAB Aamir Ashraf said that according to the World Health Organisation
(WHO) records, 10 per cent population of the country comprises persons with disabilities but they have no representative in the Parliament.

“There are reserved seats for minorities and women in the National Assembly and a bill for the protection of women rights has also been approved from both the houses, but no one has paid heed to the grievances of the special persons,” he commented.

Highlighting another important issue, President PAB Qari Saad Noor claimed that in a meeting with a delegation of PAB, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani
had approved a grant of Rs10 million for the welfare of the members of Blind Association, which was not been provided to the Association yet.

He added that the prime minister had also promised to provide a two-kanal plot for establishing a Community Centre for the Association in the federal capital but Capital Development Authority has not provided the land so far.

Aamir Arshad informed that on the PM’s order regarding regularisation of employees working on contract basis, Ministry of Social Welfare & Special Education regularised the services of 32 special persons in November 2008 but after that, no persons has been benefited. He also demanded the promotion of Braille
employees on same grades since their appointment.

He also asked for providing the facility of duty free vehicles for blind persons as granted to other persons with disabilities. Aamir Arshad announced that if their demands would not be fulfilled till March 31, PAB would start a protest till the approval of their demands.

Reproduced from http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=225654