Govt committed to implement 2% quota for disabled: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has reiterated commitment of the government to make every possible effort to implement 2% job quota for the disabled persons so they may play their part in national development. In a message on the International White Cane Safety Day, Prime Minister Gilani stressed the need to provide opportunities to the visually handicapped to benefit from their capabilities and potentialities.“It is our collective duty to create conducive atmosphere for the blind and need to take steps for their integration as productive members of the society,” the Prime Minister said.In this regard he stressed the media, opinion leaders, religious scholars, intellectuals, human rights activists and civil society organizations to play their role in raising awareness about the issues of the blind.Gilani said since 1965 the day was being observed internationally and the “White Cane” has turned into a symbol of the blind all over the world, the objective being to provide free and independent mobility to the blind, as a basic requirement towards their social integration into the mainstream.He said the day motivates all the relevant quarters such as transporters, traffic police, drivers and conductors to take better care of the blind through gatherings, functions and mass media campaigns.He also called for review of their requirements and to take affirmative steps for the resolution of the problems relating to the blind community.Gilani appreciated the launching of a website for the blind by Pakistan Association of the Blind www.pabcane.com on the occasion of “White Cane Safety Day”.
He said the Association was rendering valuable and selfless services for the education, training and rehabilitation of the visually impaired people and has made collective efforts to solve problems through self-help with focus on changing attitudes and prejudices towards the blind by creating a favourable environment.He said it would go a long way in encouraging the blind to improve quality of their own lives through self-help.He also wished the Association success in future endeavours and expressed confidence that new projects would enable it to expand its ambit of activities and provide better facilities for the blind – App