Senate Body For A Comprehensive Rehabilitation Plan For Disabled

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Social Welfare and Special Education (SW&SE), which met in the Parliament House here with Senator Dr. Mrs. Nighat Agha in the Chair, has underlined the need for a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the rehabilitation of those who were disabled as a result of the earthquake.

The Committee made this observation while discussing the welfare plans made for the persons injured in the earthquake including the settlement of the earthquake victims.

Mr. Naeem Khan, Secretary M/o SW&SE informed the Committee that Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal took timely steps for rehabilitation of earthquake victims and distributed Rs. 129.222 million among 7189 families in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Mansehra, Shangla, Swat and Peshawar.

Aashiana has been established near Hattian where health, education and vocational training facilities are made available for 1000 earthquake victims i.e. destitute women and children.

Three Vocational Centers have been established in Garhi Pan Chowk, Domail and Bagh in AJK and that a total of 38 Vocational Centers are planned to be established in earthquake affected areas with the collaboration of UNICEF. The Committee was further informed that tents, medicines, mineral water, food stuffs, fire burner and plastic sheets worth Rs. 2.9 million were distributed among earthquake affected people at Balakot and Shangla by the National Council of Social Welfare (NCSW).

Besides the above, relief goods including medicines and gas cylinders worth Rs. 5.626 million have been received from Qatar as charity and were distributed in Balakot, Ghari Habibullah and Shangla.

The Committee strongly recommended that the statute with regard to import of duty free cars and special vehicles for the disabled/handicapped be revived forthwith as the local automobile does not have the capacity to equip the locally manufactured cars. The Committee further recommended that expenditures on import and/or purchase of new cars (including bullet proof vehicles be curtailed by the Government and a national policy with regard to this be announced).

Dr. Nighat Agha, Chairperson of the Committee expressed the view that it was our prime duty to ensure that special care is taken for the rehabilitation of the affected children. Senator Maulana Sami-ul-Haq offered to accommodate at least 5000 children in his Madresah and to ensure free accommodation, education and health facilities to the children affected by the recent earthquake. Setting up of mosques as a community center be included in the national plan for the rehabilitation of earthquake victims

The meeting was also attended by Senators Mrs. Tanveer Khalid, Mrs. Abida Saif, Shuja-ul-Mulk, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, Ms. Saadia Abbasi, Muhammad Sarwar Kakar and Muhammad Enver Baig. Additional Secretary Senate, Mr. Shahiq Ahmed Khan, Additional Secretary SW&SE, Mr. Noor Saghir Khan, M. D, PBM and senior officers of the Ministry were also present.