Punjab government vows to enforce job quota for disabled

LAHORE – The Punjab government has told the Lahore High Court that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has lifted ban on the recruitments and issued directions to ensure implementation of job quota for disabled.
The Punjab government has assured the court that statistics of 16 departments will also be submitted on next hearing, including the information about implementation of two per cent quota for disable persons.
The court was hearing petition filed by Judicial Activism Penal against non-implementation of two per cent quota in recruitment of disabled persons in public departments across the country, with prayer of strict action against police officials involved in torturing visually impaired persons last month in the provincial metropolis.
During the course of arguments, the law officer undertook that he would provide statistics of more departments on next hearing. Submitting report about the disciplinary inquiries initiated against cops involved in torturing visually impaired persons, the law officer said that a DSP and other police officials had been suspended and departmental action against them had been started.
Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah directed the law officer to come up with progress report about action taken against the guilty officers.  A deputy attorney general, however, pleaded the court to give more time to submit report about implementation of disabled persons’ quota in federal government’s departments.
Justice Shah remarked: “The disabled persons are integral part of the society and manhandling with them will not be tolerated at all.”
The Judge accepted the plea and adjourned further proceedings until January 27, 2015.
Judicial Activism Penal Chairman Advocate Azhar Siddique had filed the petition submitting that the Disabled Persons (employment and rehabilitation) Act in service of Pakistan should be enforced and both federal and provincial governments be directed to implement two per cent quota for disabled persons.
The petitioner said police violated fundamental rights by torturing blind persons, so strict action be taken against them. He requested the court to summon 10-year record of appointments made in federal and provincial government to check whether disabled persons quota was implanted or not.
The petitioner claimed that 950 posts were vacant in the Social Welfare Department but bureaucrats were creating hurdles in their way. He also demanded an end to corruption and nepotism.