THERE is no denying the fact that every soul deserves basic rights for survival. The United Nations has declared the fundamental human rights for every individual regardless of any discrimination on any basis. Islam, the religion of peace, has gone one step further, urging people to treat those with intellectual disabilities with kindness, and to protect people with other disabilities.

As things stand today, however, despite having sound academic background, highly-skilled physically-challenged persons generally get ignored by the job market in Pakistan.

Even when in employment, these people face bias working against them when it comes to promotions etc. But they are lucky compared to those who are pushed below the poverty line just because of their disabilities and handicaps.

Unlike Pakistan, the West takes care of such people who enjoy equal rights of employment. They are given routine wages and privileges that are applicable to the others. One of the reasons behind the phenomenal success of such countries is their compassion for their physically-challenged citizens.

In Pakistan, the government has allocated separate quota for the disabled in public-sector organisations, but its practical implementation has remained far from ideal. It is time the authorities took due measures and chalked out effective strategies for the implementation of available laws in their true spirit.

Nuzair Ahmed Jamro

Shikarpur

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2021