Men and women with disability card holders are entitled to job quotas, reserved seats in local institutions, free education and medical treatment. Murtaza Channar Regional Director DEPD
Nawabshah: A one-day seminar was held by Pakistan U.S. Alumni Network under the chair of Mr. Abid Lashari on “issues, solutions of the issuance of Special CNICs and the privileges” to create awareness for smooth issuance of disability ID cards to ensure political participation of the persons with disabilities at local Government. During the Seminar, the coordinator of the project, Mr. Abid Lashari, Mr. Murtaza Channar Regional Director of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD), Mr. Manthar Ali Magsi, Mr. Lal Chand Lohana, Dr. Mehboob Ali Dahraj, Mr. Farooq Ahmed Bhatti, Mr. Dilmurad Mari, Mr. Nisar Ahmad Dinari, Mr. Murtaza Mugheri and other speakers said that a special card of disability is necessary for the special reserved seats of the disabled in the local government. A special process has to be followed to get issue a disability card in which a disability certificate is required for issuance of the card.
This process should be easy so that disabled youth can get special benefits by creating maximum number of cards, the privileges including 50% discount in the fares of general transportation including buses, coaches, trains and Air Fare, 05% job quota, reserved seats in local government, free education and treatment facilities. A disability card also gives the right to vote. Disability card holders are also counted in census process, District Shahid Benazirabad has 16,000 registered disabled and special card holder people.
There are 11 councilors appointed on reserved seats in the district, which is proof of the privilege of the special card. Hundreds of disabled youth are employed against reserved job quota. Socially active Youth with disabilities are turning to politics for formal participation in decision-making. The Disability ACT 2018 empowers political participation. Allocating councilor seats to the disabled in the Local Government Act 2021 Amendment Bill was a major step through which the disabled have become a formal part of decision-making at the local level. Before that, disabled practitioners were out of politics. Due to the lack of information and awareness of the disabled, disabled youth were prevented from enjoying the right to political participation.
Due to the increase in awareness through the activities of the said project, the disabled have been able to get the reserved seats through the political parties and have been able to participate practically in politics. Political parties should also encourage the disabled in their political participation and action and ensure their political participation by creating a disability wings in the sub-organizations. On this occasion, light was also shed on various problems of disabled youth and possible solutions. Social and political acceptance of disabled people, employment and education opportunities were also mentioned. So that the disabled can practically be a part of the national mainstream, the speakers added.
