LAHORE, Sept 24: The Punjab Education Foundation has launched a pilot project of inclusive education for special children in its 10 partner schools in Lahore in the first phase.

The inclusive education will help special children to seek education along with their normal age fellows and infuse self-confidence.

PEF Chairman Raja Muhammad Anwar made this announcement while speaking at a regional conference on “Political Rights of Special Persons” held under the aegis of Milestone Society for Special Persons at a local hotel on Monday.

He said the provision of all necessary facilities to persons with special needs to help them grow amicably in society was the mutual responsibility of all citizens of society.

“Helping persons, who need assistance, is the best public service in society as it enables special persons to come into the national mainstream to play their social role,” he said.

Mr Anwar urged the political parties to include the agenda of special persons’ welfare in their manifestoes.

He said the needs of special persons were often ignored by society, adding the people should adopt accommodating attitude towards special persons.

He said special persons were not a burden but a social asset, who could pro-actively contribute to the overall social development.

Besides the government, he said, NGOs as well as the general public should contribute to the collective cause of public welfare.

“Disability is not a sin but not helping them is a sin,” he said.

Milestone Society for Special Persons president Shafiqur Rehman stressed the need for legislation for the welfare of special persons with specific needs.

He said the society should provide an environment conducive to all such people and help them grow in society.

Representatives of different political parties as well as Japanese tourist Kajisan, who is currently on a world tour on his wheel chair to study the conditions of special persons, also spoke. — Staff Reporter