PWDs await SC decision for enforcement of rights

Islamabad : As world commemorates International Day of Persons with Disability (PWD), the representatives of PWDs await a big decision from Supreme Court ensuring accessibility and inclusion of PWDs in education, employment, transport, information and electoral processes.

Leaders of persons with disabilities filed a constitutional petition before the Supreme Court of Pakistan in December 2013, for the enforcement of the rights of persons with disabilities in accordance with the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability and the Constitution of Pakistan.

Issues taken up in the petition included education and employment for persons with disabilities, accessibility of buildings and public transport, accessibility of information and media, availability of statistics and provision of voting rights.

The petition was admitted by the Supreme Court for regular hearing in March, 2014. The Court has been hearing the said case from time to time over the past almost five years. The decision on this petition is expected today (December 3) that is the International Day of Persons with Disability matching the theme of this year’s international day “Empowering Persons with Disabilities and Ensuring Inclusiveness and Equality”.

“If Supreme Court orders to ensure accessibility and inclusion in education, employment, transport, information and electoral processes, almost 20 million marginalized people will be able to contribute in the development of the country,” said President Special Talent Exchange Programme Muhammad Atif Sheikh.

He said that on this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities, PWDs of the country expect good news for everyone especially those who are struggling from last many decades.

Chief Executive Officer of National Forum of Women with Disabilities (NFWWD) Abia Akram said that PWDs understand that the governments have the power to make policy decisions with repercussions over generations.

“Despite the efforts of last one decade, women with disabilities continue to face discrimination and are denied their fundamental freedoms to make their own decisions, to choose where and how to live, to be free from torture and ill-treatment, to access information, the list goes on.

“There is a continued need for the government, UN and other key stakeholders to ensure that women with disabilities are not left out of their mandate of protection and to support and promote the standards of the CRPD,” she said.

When Court would have the hearing on this day, the NFWWD called on state and all other stakeholders to equip women with disabilities with the tools they need to speak out for themselves and defend their rights. “By making these rights real, persons with disabilities can fulfill their central role in dialogue with States and private actors to end discrimination and take their place as citizens in an inclusive society,” said Abia.