PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Hisham Inamullah has said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is establishing a school in Peshawar for children suffering from autism.

He said that the government would provide free treatment to a minor boy Ali Abbas who had been suffering from autism disorder, according an official statement here on Sunday.

Video of Ali Abbas who is suffering from autism, a lifelong non-progressive neurological disorder, went viral on social media a few days ago. The statement said that Mr Inamullah took notice of the video and visited the house of the child in Peshawar and met his parents.

On this occasion, the minister announced that the government would not only bear expenses of the treatment of Ali Abbas, but also provide job to his father.

He assured the family that the social welfare department would take all steps for free treatment of the child.

He said that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had also expressed desire to meet parents of Ali Abbas. He said the government was taking initiatives for the welfare of children and his department was setting up a school for children in Peshawar who were suffering from autism.

The minister said that autistic children were very clever and sharp, but they required proper attention. He said work on autistic school was in progress and it would be made functional this year.

He said the social welfare department would set up online forum to facilitate children suffering from autism and their families.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2021