Samina Alvi, the wife of President Arif Alvi, has said the federal government wants to make the persons with disabilities independent by providing them training so that they can get jobs.
Talking to the office bearers of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) at the KATI office on Saturday, the first lady said the people with disabilities would be given a monthly stipend of Rs2,000 by the end of January under the Ehsaas Kifalat Programme of the federal government.
She said there were many facilities for people with disabilities in the world and lamented that some people considered children with disabilities as a burden. The disabilities in children were neither the fault of the parents nor the children but still people felt ashamed to tell about their children with disabilities, she remarked.
She said there was a quota for the employment of people with disabilities in all the provinces but its implementation was difficult. Even if such persons got employment, there was an impression of charity with that which left them frustrated, she added.
She emphasised the need for the provision of facilities to the persons with disabilities at the shopping centres, public parks and other places. She informed the business leaders that the children with disabilities were always invited to attend different programmes held at the presidency to make them feel that they were similar to other human beings. "I am working for the poor," she said.
She added that Prime Minister Imran Khan was also working for the poor and for the same purpose, he had built ‘Panahgah’ so that the underprivileged could have a clean place to live.
She said she had also done a lot of work on breast cancer awareness and the media had also played an important role in this regard.
She also praised the people of Karachi for their generosity and charity.
Earlier, KATI President Saleem-ul-Zaman, renowned business man SM Munir, and KATI office bearers Maheen Salman and Zubair Chhaya assured their full support to the first lady for the welfare of the people with disabilities.
They said that such persons would be provided trainings which would help them get jobs and start their own businesses. They also appreciated the efforts of the first lady for the welfare of the persons with disabilities.
