Expectations of PWDs

All the interest from the high offices might not be able to help the persons with disabilities if the real issues being faced are not understood well, it is very good news for persons with disabilities (PWDs) that the National Assembly speaker has lived up to the promise he made on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities [PWDs] on December 3, 2019, to establish a parliamentary committee to become a voice of the PWDs. The first meeting of the committee was held on October 21, 2020. It was chaired by Speaker Asad Qaisar himself. The meeting was attended by a large number of members of the National Assembly and 12 organizations working on/with the PWDs. The purpose of the first meeting was to initiate a frank and open discussion on the state of PWDs in Pakistan and consider ways and means to enable this committee and the honorable members of the National Assembly to play a more active role in significantly improving the care of PWDs in Pakistan. The speaker and the members of the committee were forthcoming in committing their support for the resolution of several issues faced by the PWDs as a marginalized group of population and by the individual victims of different kinds of disabilities. This is for the first time in Pakistan that the three highest offices in the country i.e., the presidency, the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the National Assembly are taking a keen interest in expediting the initiatives aimed at alleviating the plight of the PWDs and help fill the legislative and policy gaps. Reference Link