PESHAWAR, June 1: Speakers at a convention on Tuesday urged the government to implement the policy about disabled women in order to provide relief to them. "President General Pervez Musharraf announced a 2 per cent job quota for the disabled, but it has not been implemented.

Naturally, there is unrest among the handicapped," said Sibghatur Rehman, honorary secretary of the Rehabilitation Centre for the Physically Disabled (RCPD), in his speech at the first provincial convention of disabled women.

He regretted that public service commissions were reluctant to implement the president's directives. He said disabled women were equally talented to perform duties on high-ranking posts.

Also, Mr Rehman pointed out, the president had hinted at concession for the disabled in travel fare. He said the RCPD had set up a group of disabled women 'Power (promotion of women empowerment and rehabilitation)' aimed at highlighting the ordeal of disabled women.

Ms Saira Qadir said the centre had provided 200 Afghan refugees with artificial limbs. She lamented lack of water and electricity facilities at a hospital set up by the centre for the disabled.

District nazim Mohammad Azam Khan Afridi assured the centre of his cooperation and said funds would be provided for the solution of water and electricity problem. Later, he distributed certificates and shields among the participants of the convention. He promised to forward the recommendations of the convention to the government for their implementation.