KARACHI: The Supreme Court has directed the Sindh government to start the process to appoint differently-abled persons in its different departments in accordance with law and complete the exercise within four months.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail asked the provincial government to initiate the procedure of recruitment within two weeks.

Several differently-abled persons have approached the apex court against the Aug 19 judgement of the Sindh High Court through which the court dismissed their petitions seeking employment as per the job quota reserved for differently-abled persons.

The counsel for petitioners submitted before the Supreme Court that the Sindh government was not filling the vacant posts reserved for differently-abled persons as per its policy.

Petitioners move court for implementation of 5pc govt job quota

The lawyer sought a directive for the provincial government to start the process for appointment in all the departments, autonomous, and semi-autonomous bodies under its administrative control.

The additional advocate general stated that the process in this regard had already been started.

He assured the apex court that all the sectioned posts lying vacant in every department and meant for differently-abled persons will be advertised in accordance with the policy and eligible and suitable candidates will be selected after due process and in accordance with applicable rules.

“In view of above, the government of Sindh, keeping in view the demand and availability of vacancies, should start the process for the appointment of the differently abled persons in accordance with law, rules and policy, within a period of two weeks, after receiving a copy of this order. The government should make sure that the process so initiated in each department is completed, preferably, within a period of four months,” the bench stated in its order.

It may be recalled that five per cent job quota had been allocated for differently-abled persons under the Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2018.

In May last, the SHC had also directed the provincial authorities to consider the pending applications of differently-abled persons and if qualified, their cases may be considered for appointment in respective departments in view of the five per cent quota and to complete the exercise preferably within a period of three months.

While disposing of a set of petitions filed by physically challenged persons seeking implementation of government job quota allocated for them, the SHC had ruled that the cases of differently-abled persons, which had not been rejected so far, would be considered by the competent authority strictly in accordance with law.

Moreover, the SHC had also passed a number of orders in the past on several petitions and had directed the chief secretary to oversee the entire process of recruitment of differently-abled persons in different departments of the provincial government.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2022