MANSEHRA: Speakers at an interactive session here on Sunday called for an inclusive approach to ensure that people with disabilities and members of transgender community benefited from the welfare and development schemes in the district.

Sungi Development Foundation (SDF) organised the session where heads of the relevant government departments assured their support to the marginalised segments of society.

“We want to ensure that PWDs and transgender community are given rights equally in development, welfare schemes and employment and the heads of government departments make it possible at all levels,” Mohammad Naseer, SDF district coordinator, said on the occasion.

District officer social welfare Abdul Rasheed, chairman of district committee on education Ihtsham Ali, tehsil nazim Khuram Khan, convener Right to Live Mohammad Bilal, district election commissioner Mohammad Aziz and president Shemale Association in Hazara Maria Khan spoke at the session, which was attended by PWDs and transgender people.

Mr Naseer said that owing to lack of effective coordination with government departments 6,500 PWDs were affected in the district.

Mr Bilal said that the line departments should adopt inclusive approach to admit PWDs to schools in the district. He said that Baitul Mal was a dead horse in the district and PWDs faced an uphill task to approach its office in Islamabad.

“Benazir Income Support Programme is launched to benefit the poor but unfortunately women with disabilities are largely ignored,” he claimed. He said that appointment quota of PWD was not strictly been followed.

“Our community is also excluded in the Prime Minister’s Youth Loan Scheme,” he lamented.

Maria Khan, the president of Shemale Association in Hazara said that they wanted social security and jobs.

Mr Rasheed said that he had sent recommendations to the high-ups of the social welfare department and if adopted both the PWDs and transgender persons would benefit.

The tehsil nazim said that he would ensure that appointment quota of special people was implemented. Mohammad Aziz said that they had established a gender affairs and disability wing to facilitate the PWDs and transgender persons in the electoral process.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2016