25/06/2021
Islamabad To Become Friendly City For Persons with Disabilities:-
The Council on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities discussed in its second meeting on Thursday to make Islamabad a friendly city for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and ensure 2% quota for their job in Federal Ministries and Dvisions.
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari chaired the meeting 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.
The council was constituted under the ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2020, promulgated in September 2020. The Council decided 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.
The representative of CDA briefed the Council 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 emphasised that CDA must ensure international standards while improving structures for PWDs. It was further 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 Federal 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 as a pilot project in ICT. 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.
