IT has become a custom of the public sector organisation and even the biggest financial regulatory body, the State Bank of Pakistan, to brush off complaints and appeals.

In a recent job advertisement for the post of OG - III, they again overlooked disabled persons. Other jobs by leading financial institution/bank (anonymous) did not mention any quota.

One area which does not provide equal opportunity is hiring in contractual cadre. Either they would give excuse of having no regular posts or will not regularise them and keep them in contractual cadre forever.

Now if they won’t invite disabled qualified persons, then maintaining strength of two per cent in lower inferior cadre is easy to maintain as a whitewash to society.

I suspect disabled persons are hired in government organisations without following proper procedures, especially in the last five years. I request the authorities to conduct special audit across the board in all public sector organisations.

I am sure this will highlight and expose ethical and moral bankruptcy of society.

Only the Punjab Public Service Commission has mentioned job quota for disabled persons.

Moreover, while inviting application our big public sector cash - strapped organisations would ask for Rs500, Rs1,000, Rs1,500 as processing fee with applicant knowing it would go in vain as recruitments are not made in decent ethical way by big corporations. For unemployed disabled applicants this is even more painful.

When inducted, if good sense prevails, the disabled employee would face arrogant behaviour from supervisors not trained at handling disability and when time comes for appraisals and awards, we are at the bottom of the list. Never a percentage of achievement award is kept for disabled employees. A statistical insight would prove my point if big public sector corporations and banks can provide data.

If we look at the Higher Education Commission, it is definitely a jewel in the crown but has also overlooked us in scholarship programmes. If we look at foreign scholarships like Erasmus Mundus, they have a category targeted at students in vulnerable situation, even for Pakistan. But our own HEC cannot provide us any relief, not even age relaxation.

I would request the authorities to be friendly and explain the Disabled Persons Act in public if we are wrong.

IRFAN JANKarachi