KARACHI, Dec 3: Legislators belonging to the PPP and MMA joined in a walk by a number of disabled people on Saturday to mark the International Day of Disable Persons.

The walk was organized by the Pakistan Association of the Deaf (PAD) and inaugurated by Jamshed Town Nazim Col (r) Tahir Mashadi. It started from the PAD office and culminated at the Karachi Press Club.

Participants of the walk carried in their hands banners and placards inscribed with slogans demanding employment, better living conditions and education facilities, as well as respect for the disabled in society.

The legislators, who included Ms Nafisa Munawwar Raja, Nasrullah Shaji, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Sassui Palejo, Mehreen Bhutto and Shazia Murree, spoke to the participants outside the KPC, and criticized the government for not doing enough for the welfare of disabled people.

MPA Nasrullah Shaji of MMA said that disabled people deserve a better life and government support but they had been left to beg for their bread and butter.

On the occasion, the handicapped people read out their demands which included recognition of the sign language, permission for driving, provision of quality education, availability of interpreters for them in TV channels, hospitals, police stations, etc., and making police helpline ‘15’ approachable through SMS or text messages.—PPI