Kasur: March 21, 2013. (PCP) Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in collaboration with Roshni Saweera Theatre organization, and the Society of Disabled for Rights and Development (SDPRD) organized a Policy Dialogue titled “Involving Stakeholders for Disability Friendly Policies” held at Kasur on March 4, 2013. The policy dialogue was joined by 35 persons with disabilities, parliamentarians, lawyers, media personnel, representatives of organizations focusing on human rights and disability issues. The district officer of the social welfare Kasur, Abaad Ali Jaityala said, “No doubt, people with disabilities face difficulties, when they enter in the process to get them registered. There is a lacking on part of the legislative assembly for not introducing any new policy or law to facilitate them. The concerned departments are operating disability registration process as mentioned in the disability legislation on Employment and Rehabilitation.” “The social welfare departments are not provided with funds under the Disabled Rehabilitation and Training Committee (DRTC) for several years, therefore the balance PKR 15000/- only is available with us under DRTC. We have distributed 400 wheelchairs to persons with disabilities with the support of the government and philanthropists, but the people not having disability registration certificate remain deprived of this facility. The one window operation for disability registration process is the solution of all this complexity faced by persons with disabilities,” he added. The Executive Secretary of the AWAM, Naseem Anthony said, “Pakistan has ratified united nation convention for the rights of persons with disabilities (UNCRPD) in 2011, but there is still lack of comprehensive domestic disability legislation, even the government officials working on disability issues are totally unaware about the convention.” “There must be a separate institution to deal with disability issue, and an accessible website must be launched having all the information regarding the facilities. The government must ensure that the ministry of human rights takes the charge of UNCRPD for the reporting to the UN,” he demanded. The coordinator of the AWAM, Shazia George said, “The employment opportunities for the persons with disabilities are negligible, as the job quota reserved for their 10 percent population is merely 2 percent, which is not even properly implemented. Therefore, the job quota for PWDs must be increased to 10 percent to bring it with their population, and it must be implemented in letter and spirit.” “According to a research, around 72 percent of the PWDs do not have disability certificate or special CNIC, a precondition for getting employment on quota for PWDs. There is no standardized registration process for the PWDs, and very limited resources are allocated for them,” she added. The director of the Roshni Saweera Theatre Organization, Zubair Sameer said, “The government is responsible to introduce the new policy regarding registration of persons with disabilities, and make it one window process so that they could easily get their disability certificate and their CNIC without any delay. The upcoming general elections are the hope for the PWDs, and it is imperative for PWDs to cast their vote to get involved in political process.” The superintendent of the District Headquarters Hospital Kasur, Dr. Waqar Sadiq said, “During the MBBS training, doctors are taught certain rules, according to which that they cannot check any patient without his/her consent, so it is understood that if any woman with disabilities feel hesitation during the initial examine, then the district surgeon must take a lady doctor along with him for female examination.” He said that not only women, but men and children with disabilities also face discrimination at all levels in our society. He supported the one window operation and promised to appoint a female staff nurse or lady doctor for initial examination of women with disabilities. The main objective behind the activity was to sensitize the government officials to relax the registration process for persons with disabilities, and call upon the authorities to make it one window operation in all over the Pakistan to facilitate persons with disabilities. Naseem Anthony (Executive Secretary-AWAM), Shazia George (Coordinator-AWAM), Zubair Sameer (Executive Director-Roshni Sweara), Muhammad Naeem Safdar Ansari (MPA), Abaad Ali Jaityala (District Officer-Social Welfare Department), Dr. Waqar Sadiq (Medical Superintend-DHQ), Dr. Rizwan Sadiq (Additional Medical Superintendent-DHQ), Dr. Kalid Mehmood (Public Health Specialist MNCH Program Kasur), Muhammad Tanveer (Trainer-Roshni Swera), Shauqat Naqash (Pakistan Television), Gulam Murtaza (Person with Disability) and Shazia Sarwar were among the key participants. The Policy Dialogue was joined by the different organizations of Kasur including Good Thinkers Organization (GTO), Sudhar, Research and Planning Friends Society, Sahil, Ittehad Foundation, Private Schools Association Pakistan, Child Development Foundation, Alpha Foundation were also present. On the occasion Advocate Saad Waseem Sheikh, Safdar Ali, Atta Kasuri, Ansar Sajjjad, Awais, Hamed Zia Mobeen, Rizwan Yousaf, Syed Jawwad, Waheed Aslam, Nazim Shahzad, Dr. Anjm Rasheed, Tanveer Shahid and Syeda Faiza Muneer were also present.