Visually-impaired persons continue protest for jobs

LAHORE:Visually impaired persons are sitting on The Mall next to Governor House, blocking the road for eight days now. It is for the longest period in the country’s history that the visually impaired are on road. They demand jobs from the government when around 8,000 seats for the disabled are lying vacant in the public sector in Punjab alone.

They want to be heard. There can be a way out for them. The government should talk to them. “Government can give them stipend which they can return once they get a job. This is a practice in the West,” suggests Muhammad Usman, Focal Person for the Visually Impaired Persons, Faisalabad Division who is also Mentor Social Needs Officer in Jhang.

“In Turkey, the government has seats for all disabled. There is three percent quota for the disabled. Divide them among different disabled,” he suggests. “There are people who have got jobs meant for disabled, using their influence when they are not disabled. There are proofs. The government must look into this injustice as well,” he requested.

Social Welfare Department should create jobs for them. Once a month meeting is possible but the present government has not held any meeting with the blind which has created great unrest among them. Blinds, too, are citizens of this country. They have defied the much dreaded smog and stayed on road. The government must hold a dialogue with them, there is a consensus among rights activists. The protest on the main artery of the city is causing traffic jam on Davis Road in particular which has become a nuisance. Actually, the protest started a month back. The visually impaired have been staying at a shelter home before coming again on roads.

App adds: Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat on Monday said the appointment orders of 85 blind persons were ready so they should contact the deputy commissioner of their respective districts and end days long sit-in at the provincial capital.

He was chairing a meeting of the Chief Minister’s Committee on the recruitment of blind people held here at Civil Secretariat. Raja Basharat said the recruitment process of the remaining 426 blind persons would be completed by 30 November.