KARACHI, June 10: Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser on Local Government Waseem Akhtar regretting non-availability of proper data about the number of disabled people in the country said that only authentic statistics could lead to proper planning for the disabled.

He was speaking as a chief guest at a regional conference on “Building by-laws for making buildings and facilities accessible to people with disabilities”, jointly organised by the Minister of Social Welfare and Special Education and the Pakistan Environmental Planning and Architectural Consultants Ltd here at a local hotel on Saturday.

The adviser said that federal and provincial governments should allocate sufficient amount for the provision of state-of-the-art facilities for the disabled so that they could play effective role in socio-economic development of the country.

He said that existing by-laws regarding disabled people should be altered or new ones should be introduced, adding that there was a need for working on emergency basis for disabled throughout the country. “It could fulfil human resource scarcity in the country and make disabled people economically independent,” he said.

Waseem Akhtar directed town and union council nazims to formulate policies regarding the provision of facilities for the disabled at town and UC levels, saying that disabled people were ignored in the past but they would not be ignored in future, as present government was realising their problems.

The conference unanimously approved that there should be one toilet at public places for disabled, one lift in public and private buildings, exit and access facilities for them in any building and there should be sufficient recreational opportunities for the disabled in the country.

PEPAC Deputy Manager Administration Imran Shaukat Ali said that people with disabilities faced social neglect in the country. He referred to the WHO report that says 10 per cent people were disabled in the country, adding that country’s GDP ratio could be increased by making the disabled economically empowered and financially independent.

He said that awareness programmes regarding the role of disabled people at town, union council, taluka and tehsil levels should be launched so that common people could be enlightened about the role of disabled people in socio-economic development.

Rashid Makhdoom of the PEPAC said that realisation of the adherence to international norms regarding treatment with disabled people was a pre-requisite and necessary for bringing reforms for the disabled in the country and making them successful. He said that true spirit was needed for making reforms and by-laws for the disabled successful.

Keamari Town Nazim Hamayun Khan, Gulberg Town Nazim S.M. Hayat, other town nazims, TMOs, TO, NGOs' representatives, social workers and philanthropists were also present at the conference.—PPI