KARACHI, Dec 2: Various programmes are being organized by various organizations to celebrate the International Day for the Disabled People, which is being observed around the globe on December 3.

The theme prescribed by the United Nations for the day is “Rights of persons with disability — action in development”.

An alliance of the organizations, Sindh Disability Forum (SDF), representing the handicapped people, has decided to observe the event in question by observing hunger strike to register their protest against the non-solution of their issues.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday the SDF leaders Ghulam Nabi Nizamani, Javed Rais, Mohammad Nusrat and others said that the hunger strike would start on Saturday at noon.

They said that the handicapped people would also organize a walk from the Karachi Press Club at 3pm and after marching through various city streets would go to the Governor’s House to deliver their demands.

The SDF office-bearers said that the handicapped people were facing many problems but no concrete steps were being taken to solve their issues.

They said that though the government had reserved a 2 per cent quota for the handicapped in the jobs, but it was not being implemented.

They further demanded that long-term soft loans be provided to the disabled people.

The SDF office-bearers also demanded that the handicapped people be given due representation in the parliament through reserved seats like the women and minorities, so that they could highlight their issues at decision making forums.

They also demanded that special quota in the government’s housing schemes be reserved for such people and they be provided plots at subsidized rates. They also demanded that special quota for the handicapped people should be fixed in the Zakat being collected by the government.

They said that the former city nazim had promised that stalls at the bus stops in the city would be allotted to the handicapped people only, but that promise had not yet materialized while many of those stalls had already been allotted.

A walk being organized by the Pakistan Association of the Deaf will start at 9am from its office near Lal Kothi, Block 6, Sharea Faisal and conclude at the Mazar-i-Quaid.

Another walk is being organized by the Association of the Physically Handicapped Adults at 11am from the Safari Park and it will conclude at the Gulistan-i-Jauher.

A special prayer meeting is being organized for the quake victims by Madawa Welfare Society, at Plot No: R-66, Block 9, A-One Cottage, F B. Area at 10am.

A seminar is also being organized by the All Sindh Handicapped Associations at the Social Welfare Training Institute, Block 7, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, at 8pm.