First Lady for inclusive education of PWDs in mainstream educational institutions.

ISLAMABAD -- First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi Friday emphasized the need to impart inclusive education to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in mainstream educational institutions and equip them with the latest and in-demand technical and vocational skills.

The first lady, addressing a virtual meeting on disability with members of the civil society organizations working for the welfare of differently-abled people (DAPs) in Balochistan, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, urged the welfare organizations to create awareness among PWDs about the business loans being offered by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on easy terms and conditions for their financial independence.

Technical Advisor from the World Health Organization (WHO), Maryam Malik, and representatives of the Balochistan Government, NGOs, and welfare foundations attended the meeting via video link.

Begum Samina Alvi highlighted that a unified platform with representation from government, NGOs and welfare foundations was essential for better coordination among different stakeholders as it would help in exchanging information and best practices and coming up with cost-effective solutions to address the issues of PWDs.

She said that the issuance of disability certificates to PWDs needed to be made easier through One Window facilities by establishing and operationalizing them through the assistance of provincial social welfare, health departments and NADRA.

The first lady highlighted that PWDs, especially the physically impaired...