KARACHI, Oct 14: Speakers at a press conference on Saturday urged the authorities to solve the problems being faced by the blind people on priority basis so that they could also lead a normal and respectable life.

They were speaking at the press conference organised by the Pakistan Association of the Blind (Sindh) at the Karachi Press Club on the eve of the White Cane Safety Day that is celebrated globally to express solidarity with the visually impaired people on Oct 15.

The speakers — Muzaffar Ali Qureshi and Alidino Peerzado — criticised the dissolution of the PAB Hyderabad organisation by the Sindh Social Welfare Department (SSWD) and demanded that this unjustified and arbitrary action of the government department against an organisation working for the welfare of the handicapped.

They also criticised the threatening attitude of the SSDW, which wanted to take over the PAB Hyderabad’s building. They said that if they did not handover the building it would be vacated through police action.

The PAB officials said that the PAB was operating a training institute for blind girls and if the building was taken over the handicapped students would suffer.

They also said that the Sindh government had given over Rs10 million to the PAB (National) so that it could be spent on the welfare of the blind.

They claimed that the PAB (National), despite their numerous requests, was not spending the funds.

They urged the authorities to institute an inquiry into the issue to see where the funds were being spent and that these were spent judiciously.