Published on: August 21, 2025 11:10 PM
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD), Government of Sindh, strongly rejects the protest staged by a small group of visually impaired persons under the banner of Sindh Blind Action Committee outside Karachi Press Club.
Their demands for direct government employment without following the due process of law are unlawful, extra-legal, and cannot be entertained. They are also demanding jobs disproportionately by-passing persons with disabilities falling in different categories of PWDs. According to law and rules government employment is required to be provided through District Recruitment Committee (DRC) after these posts are advertised in Newspapers.
In a statement DEPD mentioned that Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) has been taking efforts for providing employments to persons with disabilities in Government departments as per law of recruitment. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD), Government of Sindh, has been allocated a budget of PKR 17 billion for the fiscal year 2025-26. This allocation reflects the Government’s strong commitment towards the welfare, empowerment, and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Sindh.
DEPD continues to undertake a range of welfare-oriented initiatives aimed at rehabilitation, skill development, and mainstreaming of differently-abled individuals on its own and through NGOs. Key areas of focus include: Vocational Training & Skill Development, Rehabilitation Services, Assistive Devices & Enabling Environment and Inclusive Development Programs.
In last year, 156 visually impaired persons were provided jobs on contingent basis in different district administrations. Many of them have been regularized through District Recruitment Committee (DRC) under the Chairmanship of respective Deputy Commissioners. DEPD has also requested/conveyed all Deputy Commissioners to conduct DRCs in the respective districts. Certain leading organizations representing Persons with Disabilities i.e. Pakistan disabled foundation, Pakistan Independent Living Centre, Pakistan Down-syndrome Association, National Disability Forum and Pakistan Association of Blind have demanded to observe employment quota/proportion for all persons with disabilities on equal basis and disowned the protest which is against the law and can be instrumental to create disturbance and unrest among the persons with disabilities.
It is made clear that no government job can be provided merely on the basis of illegal protest as all government jobs are to be provided in accordance with the law maintaining merit and transparency as adjudged by the apex courts from time to time.
These protesting visually impaired persons should apply for jobs with respective District Recruitment Committees as DEPD has time and again advised them to approach respective DRC forums for recruitment through legal procedure. Their demand for jobs beyond rules and procedure as well as over and above their due share preferring other PWDs being unlawful cannot be met. These protesting visually impaired persons have also been advised to apply for jobs in private sectors and DEPD will support them. However, they are adamant to secure government jobs which is possible only after fulfilling due process of law.
The protest of some visually impaired persons under the banner of Sindh Blind Action Committee is out of context and extra-legal. DEPD therefore rejects protest of some visually impaired persons under the banner of Sindh Blind Action Committee out- side Karachi Press Club and categorically refutes their allegations as their demands are unlawful.
