He said this at a function in connection with the World Disability Day arranged by the Punjab Welfare Trust at Alhamra.
Mr Sharif said the institute for the rehabilitation of special children costing Rs1 billion would be completed expeditiously.
He said children with special needs were an integral part of society, and the government was utilising all available resources for the rehabilitation of physically-challenged people so that they could be made useful citizens of the country.
He said it was a matter of pride that children with special needs had not allowed their disability to become a handicap and had displayed outstanding performance in education, sports and other sectors. He said visually-challenged Saima Saleem obtained the 6th position in the CSS examination. He said Ms Saleem had joined Foreign Service but he was ready to appoint her at Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
He also paid rich tributes to Akhuwat Chairman Dr Amjad Saqib for his efforts for the betterment of physically-challenged children.
He said Dr Saqib and his team and other institutions working for physically and emotionally challenged people were not only rendering commendable service to society but were also ensuring a glorious future for the young generation.
The chief minister said people with special needs showing outstanding performance in different sectors would be encouraged while educated people would be given government jobs. He said the Punjab government had allocated two per cent quota for people with special needs and its implementation would be ensured. He said a physically-challenged student had been refused admission to the King Edward Medical College on the grounds that the college did not have facilities for such students. When he came to know about the incident, the chief minister said, he ordered the college to admit the student and his expenditures would be met by the Punjab government.
He said the Punjab government would expand the scope of non-government organisation so that they could take greater measures for the betterment of the children.
Earlier, Punjab Welfare Trust Chairman Dr Saqib highlighted the importance of World Disability Day. He said that seven million people in the country were suffering from disabilities.
He appealed to the chief minister that people with special needs and registered with the Social Welfare Department be provided free treatment facilities at social security hospitals. He said it should be made mandatory for district governments to provide free wheel chairs to the persons who cannot afford to buy wheelchairs. He demanded that people with special needs be provided ‘Qarz-i-Hasna’ so that they could set up their own business instead of relying on others.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT: Mr Sharif said a number of proposals was being considered for solid waste management in cities and negotiations were being held with local as well as international companies to execute the project.