LAHORE, Dec 18: In a reference to the alleged connection between cousin-marriages and birth of handicapped children, Punjab Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbul has advised the people to marry in accordance with health principles to forestall the birth of handicapped children.

Speaking at a meeting in a school for special children called Darul Musarrat here on Wednesday, the governor said that three to five per cent of the children born in the country had physical disabilities. The number could be reduced considerably if marriages were contracted in accordance with health principles, he added.

He said the secretary for special education had informed him that 4,500 to 5,000 special children were enrolled in educational institutions in the provincial metropolis and awaited attention of the government and philanthropists. He said special children also required special attention of their parents, who should ensure their medical check-up on a regular basis.

He said the government should also examine ways and means for taking care of special children in association with NGOs and philanthropists. He said he would talk to philanthropists for solving the transport problems of the children studying at Darul Musarrat. The city district government should also make security arrangements for the children, he added.

He said he intended to indulge in noble deeds after becoming a constitutional governor and his participation in the first anniversary of Darul Musarrat was one of those deeds. Darul Mussarrat chairman Bishop Robert Samuel Azaraiah said special children should be treated and educated as normal children because they did not want pity but understanding and attention.

Darul Mussarrat principal Risha Qadir Bakhsh said all children were a gift of God and should be treated as such.

The governor joined the special children in cutting the Christmas cake after watching a short play entitled ‘Real Happiness’.