KARAK: The physically-challenged persons of Karak district have sought the payment of a reasonable stipend from the oil and gas royalty funds to manage expenditure and said they would fight for their rights.

The demand was made during a meeting held here on Thursday with president of the special persons association Rehmat Ali in the chair.

The participants complained that they lived a miserable life and were a burden on their families for having no source of income.

They also claimed that the jobs reserved for them in government departments were claimed by the people, who didn’t have any physical disability, by producing fake disability certificate from the social welfare department.

Besides an impartial inquiry into that irregularity for action against the culpable officials, the participants also demanded an increase in their job quota from two per cent to five per cent.

They said they had formed a committee to meet elected representatives from the district and push them for raising their issues inside assemblies.

ROAD DEMANDED: The residents of Koh-i-Maidan and other remote areas of Karak district have demanded the construction of a road and upgradation of the local elementary educational institution to the middle level.

The demand was made during a meeting here on Thursday with local elder Ziauddin in the chair.

The residents complained that the hilly area didn’t have a proper road to their misery.

They also resented that they lived with electric supply and that that the children had to use lamplight for nighttime studies.

The residents complained about the shortage of staff in the school and demanded appointment of staff members, especially teachers, in adequate numbers and upgradation of the primary school to the middle standard level.

They warned that if their demands weren’t met, they would agitate.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2020