KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday sought comments from chief Secretary, social welfare department secretary, health secretary and commissioner Karachi on a petition of 58 blind persons seeking employment in government-run institutions on merit and implementation of five per cent disabled persons’ quota.
A division bench was hearing a joint petition of blind persons, the Amigos Welfare Trust and Justice Helpline, praying to the court to order implementation of five per cent disabled persons’ quota in all government offices with true letter and spirit.
The blind persons—Mst Sumiya Mughal, Mst Saima Younus, Mst Urooj Farhan, Mst Sidra Mujahid, Mst Sadia Mahmood, Mohammad Abid, Ghulam Asif, Mohammad Ayaz, Ahmed Khan and others—, Atam Parkash of Justice Helpline and Anwar Masih, the Amigos Welfare Trust President submitted that blind persons had applied for employment in different departments as per their qualification. They said that many of the departments had conducted their interviews and test and also issued disability certificates to them but they could not be appointed.
The petitioners said that in pursuance of the Employment & Rehabilitation Ordinance, 1981 for Disabled Persons the federal ministry of health & social welfare had constituted National Council for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons to facilitate the employment, rehabilitation and welfare of disabled persons but no any facilities were provided by the respondents.
The petitioners and various other handicaps had made hectic efforts to get employments per to their educational ability and quota granted by the government for the disable special persons. When no department adjusted and provided employment to us, we had started agitation in 2015 outside Karachi Press Club and Chief Minister House on which CM Syed Murad Ali Shah had assured us that we would be given employments as per ability but the promise had not been fulfilled yet, they added.
The blind persons said that they had also approached the Additional District Commissioner-I South Karachi for the adequate solution of their grievances but to no avail. The petitioners requested the court to direct them to appoint deserving blind persons’ job forthwith.