Lahore: February 4, 2016. (PCP) “The government must introduce a comprehensive legal framework and accessible environment in line with international commitments to protect the rights of persons with disabilities, and establish exclusive resourceful body to collect data and deal with the issues of persons with disabilities. The registration of person with disabilities should be done through one-window operation and Tehsil (Sub-District) authorities must be given powers to perform this task. The European Union must include the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) into core conventions necessary to be implemented for retaining GSP Plus Status.” These demands were made by the participants of a provincial consultation entitled ‘Persons with Disabilities: Access to Opportunities and Rights’ organized by Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in collaboration with Milestone Society of Disabled People, and Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) Network. The said consultation was organized on 2nd February 2016 at Falettie’s Hotel, Lahore. The event was attended by two Members of Punjab Assembly (MPA) namely Farzana Butt and Nasreen Nawaz. Besides, the consultation was also joined by the representatives of Civil Society Organizations including Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), South Asia Partnership Pakistan, Aurat Foundation (AF), HEERA Organization, Beacon Foundation for Visually Impaired People (BFVIP), Society of Disabled People for Development and Rights (SDPRD) and representatives of Government Departments including Directorate General of Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal, Social Welfare, Punjab Council on the Rehabilitation of Disabled People (PCRDP) and Urban Unit. Speaking on the occasion, a parliamentarian, Farzana Butt said, “The Government is paying special attention to the inclusion of persons with disabilities, therefore civil society groups must suggest measures to improve the mechanism contributing to their empowerment.” A parliamentarian, Nasreen Nawaz, said, “The government is taking significant measures for the empowerment persons with disabilities through introducing different interventions. There is a need to promote the facilities reserved by the government for persons with disabilities through mass media in order to increase the number of beneficiaries and enhance their visibility and integration.” A member of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), Shazia George said, “A major portion of women with disabilities is unable to obtain Computerized National Identity Card due to not having the disability registration certificate as the process is lengthy and complicated. Therefore, it is imperative to make the registration process easy through one-window operation at Tehsil (Sub-District) level.” “The government should prepare and submit State Party Report under UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to the Committee on the rights of persons with disabilities to improve the situation of disability rights in Pakistan,” she demanded. The program director of the AWAM, Naseem Anthony said, “Inaccessible environment is making the persons with disabilities vulnerable to face social, economic, physical and political barriers.” “The persons with disabilities are forced to live on the margins of society, therefore the authorities must ensure the access of persons with disabilities to avail opportunities and services announced by the government,” he demanded. The executive director of the Centre for Social Justice, Peter Jacob said, “The infrastructure is appreciable, but the government must pay attention to service deliver mechanism for persons with disabilities.” “There is a need to have proper system in place for persons with disabilities keeping in view their needs and requirement leading to attitudinal change,” he added. The president of the HEERA Organization, Umer Pervez said, “The government must create technical training opportunities for persons with disabilities to avail entrepreneur opportunities for their economic uplift, and formulate long-term policies to mainstream persons with disabilities for their empowerment.” “The government must arrange 1-week training course about nature of job for persons with disabilities, right after their recruitment under disability quota. Moreover, the government after having consulted with doctors & experts, must issue list of suitable jobs, trades or vocations for all categories of persons with disability, where they could apply for,” he demanded. The executive director of the Milestone Society of Disabled People, Shafique-ur-Rehman said, “We appreciate the Punjab government stance of announcing facilities and schemes for persons with disabilities, but the provincial government has not paid any attention to make these facilities and scheme accessible for persons with disabilities.” “The authorities must ensure that persons with disabilities are included in policy decisions, and concerned service delivery departments are easily accessible for persons with disabilities,” he demanded. A social activist, Risham Adnan said, “The sensitization campaign is needed at grassroots level to sensitize public about the issues of persons with disability for enhancing their public acceptance.” A social activist, Anjum Raza said, “The portion of persons with disabilities must be enhanced in disability concerned departments as their absences from these hubs make service delivery mechanism ineffective.”