PESHAWAR: There are five million special persons in the country while estimated number of the disabled people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is three million but they are not treated like normal people, according to a study.

During launch of the research study report at Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, Pak Women Organisation chief executive Azra Gul said that 240 special persons were interviewed for the research to know their difficulties.

The research is based on details of reports regarding disabled persons and their ordeal which was compiled in 10 district of the province within four months.

Ms Gul said that PWO formed a Himmat Network of various civil society organisations working on special persons in the province to help in compilation of the report.

Representatives of different organisations including Umair Khan, Wisal Khan Bangash, Zubair Khan and Sher Rahman also shared their views on the occasion. They expressed concerns over non-availability of basic facilities to physically challenged people.

Ms Gul stressed the need for proper legislation by the provincial assembly to ensure provision of all basic facilities and due rights to the people with different sorts of disabilities.

Zubair Khan, a surveyor who himself is a disabled person, said that there were many families that had four to seven people with disabilities and were unable to earn livelihood. He alleged that government particularly social welfare department was not paying attention to them.

Sher Rahman, another surveyor, said on the occasion expressed concerns over the government’s apathy to implement the policy of three per cent quota for the special persons in jobs. He demanded of the government to provide jobs to special persons to save them from beggary.

Wisal Khan Bangash said that as per his survey in Kohat, there were many disabled persons, who were facing multiple problems particularly in getting NICs. “There are strict rules for special persons about getting the certificate of disability from social welfare department,” he added.

The special persons appealed to the government to resolve their problems on priority basis and remove unrest among them.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2018