Ch Pervaiz Elahi supports the demands of the blinds

Lahore: Pakistan Muslim League (PML) senior central leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Ch Parvez Elahi have fully supported the demands of the blinds staging sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly in chilly cold weather and said that what they about the promises with the blinds who had not fulfilled the promises made with the normal people.

He said in a statement issued here today it was quite deplorable that the promises which the rulers of Punjab last year had made with the blinds after they were subjected to worst torture, which was greatly condemned the world over and nation-wide, on coming on roads for their demands, these promises had not been honoured yet and the blinds had been forced to come out on roads once again.

Ch Parvez Elahi said that during our govt in the Punjab we had provided jobs and historical facilities including special quota in educational institutions to the handicapped persons, in the Chief Minister’s House for the first time a blind woman operator was appointed. He said how the people with no wisdom would solve the problems of the blind people, this was the reason the people suffering from host of problems including the blinds were cursing the rulers openly.

He said further that the Punjab Govt was trying in vain to impress the people by announcing the facilities through big advertisements in the newspapers whereas practically nothing was being done in any sector and the case of the blinds was before us while our govt had fixed 5 per cent quota for the handicapped people in govt jobs and special quota of 2 per cent in educational institutions and also provided free education, equipments, transport, stipends and various other revolutionary facilities for the first time, talking computer laboratories, low vision centres and audio clinics were also established for blind, deaf and dumb people during our tenure, special patronage and facilities were given to the blinds cricket team which had become the world champion and special education institutions in the private sector were also provided financial and technical assistance, we had established educational and training centres of international standard for the special children, 119 special education centres and school were set up at tehsil level and degree college in Lahore and Bahawalpur, teachers and staff of these special institutions were provided special training and also given double salaries and incentives as compared to other educational institutions, special students were provided free brail book, wheel chair and monthly stipend of Rs 200 and construction of ramp in all govt buildings was also made compulsory for the movements of the handicapped persons.