Imran Khan pledges true empowerment of disabled

Islamabad: Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on Monday unveiled his party’s policy for the persons with disabilities, expressing determination that after coming into power, the PTI would ensure true empowerment of the disabled and delivery of the rights of the persons with disabilities vowing that their representation would be ensured bringing them into the mainstream of the country.

While addressing the convention organized here by Insaf Student Federation (ISF) and the launching ceremony of PTI’s policy for Persons with Disabilities (PWD’s) here, Imran Khan lamented over the government’s failure to empower the disabled people in the country.

Imran Khan said that the persons with disabilities (PWD’s) will be given the representation in mainstream of society and after coming into power, the PTI will also ensure adequate budgetary allocations for them in the national and provincial budgets and to also provide them with the scholarships for disabled who wanted to get higher education.

Criticizing the rulers of the country, PTI chief said that the Presidency and the Punjab government have been extending their all out efforts to buy the loyalties of the politicians. He said that the PTI’s tsunami would reach at Minar-e-Pakistan on March 23 by travelling through Metro Buses.

Imran Khan said that the Punjab Chief Minister was frightened of PTI’s rising support and popularity among the masses and the proposed public gathering of PTI at Minar-e-Pakistan had made him restless.

“Punjab Chief Minister is not ready to dissolve the Punjab Assembly as he wants to use his own police and Patwari’s to thwart the PTI’s public gathering to be held in Lahore,” said Imran. He said that even after his all out efforts, Chief Minister Punjab cannot beat the passion of the youth, adding that Shahbaz Sharif might be unaware that ideology and passion cannot be bought by dolling out laptops to the young students.

He said that the taxpayers’ money was being misused to buy the loyalty of politicians, adding that the Punjab government has spent 70 billion rupees on Metro Bus Service. “After coming into power, we will hold all the corrupt leaders accountable as these rulers have spent all the public funds just to cling to power and they have no concern about the plights of common masses,” said the PTI chairman.

He appealed to the public not to vote for those politicians who have kept their assets and their family members in foreign countries. Imran Khan was of the view that PTI has introduced real democracy in the country by holding the intra party elections, adding that the parties that avoided the party elections could not exist in the near future. He said that Shahbaz Sharif has made it convenient for PTI to participate in public gathering of 23rd march by launching Metro Bus Service as now they can easily reach to Minar-e-Pakistan.

He said that the propaganda has been staged to sabotage the PTI’s tsunami on March 23rd and a lot of money was also spent on media in this regard.

Imran Khan said that Islam has stressed upon the need to ensure rights of everyone and just because of this Islam succeeded to form the first welfare state in the world. He lamented that unfortunately the disables have been deprived of their rights in the country. “Persons with disabilities are not being given their basic rights which the government authorities have pledged to them,” said PTI chief.

After coming into power, PTI would ensure the rights of disable persons and they will be given the enough opportunities to play their vital role in society, he added. He said that a special space would be allocated for the disables at Minar-e-Pakistan on March 23rd in PTI’s public gathering.

Meanwhile, PTI’s disable wing leader Atif Sheikh announced the PTI’s policy for Persons with Disabilities, saying that 15% of the total population was comprised of disable persons but for the first time in history any political party announced its policy for their rights. According to the policy, implementation on the 1991 ordinance will be ensured in which a special quota has been allocated for the disable persons. He said that a majority of disable persons was present in rural areas but they have not been provided any facilities.

Under the policy, Persons with Disabilities (PWD’s) will be include in mainstream of society so that they can play their role in all walks of life included social, vocational and financial capacities.

“PTI will acknowledge, facilitate and empower all PWDs enabling them to lead independent and self fulfilling lives. PTI will raise the awareness about integration of PWDs and it will work towards the prevention of certain avoidable disabilities through early diagnosis and medical treatment,” according to the policy.