ISLAMABAD, May 5: Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Sheikh has been requested through a letter, written by the Pakistan Association of Visually Handicapped Persons, to remember disabled persons while preparing upcoming budget for fiscal year 2012-13.

The letter appeals to the finance minister that special persons in government service should be given encouragement allowance of 50 per cent of their salary as their pay is insufficient to meet their needs.

Such persons in employment should also be exempted from the income tax, the letter further requests and adds that the benevolent fund which is deducted at a rate of 2 per cent of the basic pay should not be deducted from the salary of special persons.

They should be allowed to invest in welfare accounts in the national saving schemes on high interest rates as has already been allowed to widows and senior citizens, it asks.

President of Visually Handicapped Persons’ Association Khalid Mahmood Bajwa said special persons needed special attention in the coming budget.

According to statistics of the World Health Organisation there were 18 million disabled persons in Pakistan and out of them 70 per cent were under 18 years of age. It would require Rs4.9 billion if Rs500 are to be paid to all of them.