KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday said that the provincial government would approach the National Database and Registration Authority for the issuance of the computerised national identity cards (CNICs) to visually impaired people reflecting their impairment.

At a meeting at the CM House, he was informed by a delegation of the Pakistan Association of the Blind, Sindh, that they should be issued CNICs reflecting their vision impairment.

The CM assured the association that he would talk to Nadra authorities to resolve their issue.

He also approved a Rs16 million grant for the association and announced vehicles for pick and drop of the visually impaired children from home to school.

Murad approves Rs16m grant for Pakistan Association of the Blind Sindh

“We are implementing the five per cent quota in government jobs for differently-abled persons,” the CM said while talking to the association members.

The CM said President Asif Ali Zardari had directed him to resolve all the issues of the persons with impaired vision.

Association president Riaz Memon said President Zardari, during his previous tenure as the head of the state, had granted them a concession card for travelling by air and train, which was rescinded when his tenure was over. He said former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of the PPP had also supported them, but it was discontinued with the change of the government.

The association members requested the CM to approve an annual grant for their association. At this, the CM approved the Rs16 million annual grant and directed Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) Secretary Tauha Farooqi to send him a summary for the formal approval.

The association members told the CM that their two centres of Larkana and Karachi needed transport facilities for pick and drop.

He approved two vehicles to facilitate travelling to the children with impaired vision from home to school/ centre and then back home from school/ centre to home.

The CM told the association that there would be separate facilities for the blind at Inclusive City and their members would be taken into confidence in developing facilities there.

The blind association members lauded the CM for his steadfast support for differently-abled persons.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2024