Inclusion of special column sought for disabled in census form

TIMERGARA: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) woman councillor Saira Shamsul Qamar, who is physically challenged, on Friday urged the federal government to include a special column for the disabled in census form.

Talking to reporters here, she said that the census form had no specific column for the physically challenged persons. She said that persons with disabilities (PWD) would move the court if the government failed to specify separate column for them.

"The PWDs are also equal citizens of this country and they have some special rights which normal persons don't have," Saira said, adding it was the state's responsibility to give special status to persons with disabilities.

She said if the government was sincere towards them it should include a separate column for the disables persons in the census form to collect data about them. The councilor added that the government didn't seem to be serious to know about the exact number of disabled persons to avoid pressure from the world community forums on the issue of their rights. She announced to move the court if the government failed to meet her demand.

Meanwhile, a lady councilor from village council Tangi Aalia Bibi asked the  government to provide gas connections to all residents of the area without discrimination. Talking to reporters here, she said the Awami National Party leader and former senator Zahid Khan had made efforts for the provision of natural gas to parts of Lower Dir. She said blue-eyed people and workers of the ANP were being provided gas connections but the poor residents were ignored.