Karachi, The caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh, Justice (Retd) Maqbool Baqar, has issued directives for the strict implementation of a 5% job quota for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in both the government and private sectors. This move is aimed at enabling PWDs to earn their livelihood independently.
According to Sindh Chief Minister House, The instruction was given during a meeting at CM House with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD). The meeting, attended by Chief Secretary Dr. Fakhre Alam, Chairman P&D Shakil Mangejo, Secretary Finance Kazim Jatoi, Secretary DEPD Taha Farooqi, and others, focused on measures to empower PWDs in the province.
Secretary DEPD Taha Farooqi informed the Chief Minister about the department’s efforts in running four Centres for Autism Rehabilitation Training Sindh (C-ARTS) in Karachi and Hyderabad and 66 Special Education and Rehabilitation Centers (SERC) across six divisions of Sindh. These centers currently enroll 4,190 children, with a staff of 794 teaching and non-teaching personnel. Children at these centers receive a monthly stipend of Rs2000, along with transportation and lunch services. They are also provided vocational training in various trades, with 208 children having been trained so far.
Chief Minister Baqar emphasized the need for the proper implementation of the 5% job quota for special persons, instructing the Chief Secretary to issue directives to all government departments and ensure compliance in the private sector through the Labour Department. Chief Secretary Dr. Fakhre Alam highlighted that the DEPD had issued 34,488 Disability Assessment Certificates since 2021, facilitating job quota implementation.
Dr. Alam further reported that 1,134 PWDs have been employed in various districts, following the quota system. However, challenges remain, such as the denial of school admissions to slow learners or mildly autistic children, leading to an increased burden on DEPD Rehabilitation Centers. To address this, Chief Minister Baqar called for ‘inclusive education’ to prevent premature labelling of children as special needs without giving them a fair chance at school admissions. He directed the Chief Secretary to collaborate with the school education department to resolve this issue.
Additionally, the DEPD operates the Special Education Teacher’s Training Academy (SETTAS) in Kotri, established in 2018. SETTAS has completed 10 training programs, with two more in progress, covering various areas such as visual and hearing impairment, occupational and speech therapy, and autism.