Campaign to help the disabled acquire Special CNICs launched

The Network of Organisations Working for Persons with Disabilities-Pakistan (NOWPDP) has launched a one-window camp service for people with disabilities to get their Special CNICs made within a day.

The two-week-long camp, which is being held in collaboration with the Sindh government, began on Monday. Ameen Amir of NOWPDP said that once a person with disability turns 18, they are supposed to get their employment card from the social welfare department, which later sends them to the health department to acquire a disability certificate approved by a medical expert. Following this, the person with disability must again go to the social welfare department to get verification and then head to Nadra to get their Special CNIC made. “This entire process takes up around two months and is very tedious.”

He explained that at the ongoing camp, people coming in were being registered and their information was being saved into a database so that they could later be offered trainings. After getting a token, the person with disability will head to the other room for their certificate which will be attested by the medical examiners present there. The person would then head to the Nadra van onsite to apply for their Special CNIC.

With the Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018, the social work and health departments have come together to streamline the process, especially with regards to Special CNICs which would ensure many rights like five per cent quota for employment, education and healthcare provision, among others.

Amir said it would be very helpful if such one-stop points are made all over the city or if one day is allocated to them so that the people with disabilities do not go through so much trouble to get their ID cards.

Shahzeb Shaikh, Deputy Secretary to Qasim Naveed, the special adviser to CM on persons with disabilities, told The News that it was a pilot project and if successful, it would be implemented across the province. Naseem who came with her son who has cerebral palsy said that there was no scuffle and the entire process of getting the card made was very smooth for them.