Making Islamabad friendly city for PWDs discussed

Islamabad : The second meeting of the Council on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was held Thursday to discuss making Islamabad a friendly city for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and ensuring a 2 per cent quota of job for persons with disabilities in federal ministries and divisions.

Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari chaired the meeting of which was attended by council members from National Assembly, Senate, Ministry of Information, Finance, Education, and PASS; Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA); Executive Director National Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (NIRM); and three persons with disability (PWDs).

The council has been constituted under the ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2020, which was promulgated in September 2020.The first meeting was held February 2021. It was decided in the meeting that the Ministry of Human Rights will take up the matter of ensuring a 2 per cent quota of jobs for persons with disabilities in the cabinet so the Prime Minister can issue directives to all departments.

Moreover, it was decided that the Federal Secretary for Human Rights will approach its counterparts to take necessary actions for ensuring the quota in jobs.

The representative of CDA briefed the participants that CDA has taken initiatives to make Islamabad a friendly city for persons with disabilities. They have already started to make ramps at 40 different places of ICT with signs. The Council proposed to CDA to ensure international standards while improving structures for PWDs. It was also decided that the council will take up the matter of fee exemption for PWDs in educational institutions of Islamabad Capital Territory with the Ministry of Education and issue of persons with disabilities to travel alone in private airlines with the Ministry of Aviation.

The Managing Director Baitul Mal Zaheer Abbas Khokhar said that Baitul Mal has capacity to conduct a survey on Persons with disabilities. He says d that it can be started with ICT as a pilot project. The Director General Human Rights Muhammad Arshad briefed the participants that Ministry of Human Rights prepared a public service message for mass awareness on rights of persons with disabilities.