KARACHI, Oct 27: Students of Ida Rieu School and College for the Deaf and Blind recited naats at an Iftar organized for over 100 handicapped children at a fast food outlet here on Thursday.

Students from Darul Sukoon, Al-Rozan, Asra, Aghosh, Sconisa and the Ida Rieu school participated in the function organized by noted artist and social worker Jimmy Engineer.

The social worker, who has been organizing such functions for the handicapped children for more than three years now, said that he was organizing such functions at five-star hotels and elite city restaurants so that special children could also enjoy life and have fun like their normal counterparts who would enjoy such things as a matter of routine.

He said that puppets shows, music shows, magic shows, etc., had also been the regular features of the programmes for special children until recently but due to the massive earthquake earlier this month and the heavy casualties and destruction caused by it, he skipped such features in the current event and added a naat recitation session.

He urged the parents of special children not to feel shy in taking them to public places like parks, playgrounds, etc so that they could have interaction with more and more normal children. This, he said would encourage the special children in adopting normal behaviour.

Jimmy Engineer pointed out that in developed countries, governments provided many facilities and benefits to their special citizens but here in Pakistan, such deserving people were deprived of even their due rights. He regretted that the two per cent job quota reserved for special citizens was also not being implemented.

He called for long-term soft loans and other opportunities for special people so that they could earn their livelihood in a respectable way and play their due role in the progress of the country.

He appealed to the authorities and philanthropists to come forward with whatever assistance they could extend to the organizations working for the uplift and wellbeing of special children and other citizens.

Referring to thousands of people rendered handicapped by the recent earthquake, Jimmy Engineer said that the government should also chalk out some special plans to rehabilitate them.