Despite the fixed job quota, thousands of special people are deprived of government jobs

Lahore: In Pakistan, despite the job quota set for special people, thousands of special people are deprived of government jobs, while no job quota has been set for transgenders, however, transgenders have been recruited on contract basis in a few departments.

The special persons say that due to the lack of awareness about the rights, non-availability of transport to come and go to the offices and the lack of basic facilities for the special persons in the offices, the special persons are not able to get jobs.

Zakia Parveen hails from Lahore, has been unable to walk since childhood due to polio and uses a wheelchair. Zakia Parveen said that her husband has also lost the ability to hear and speak. She herself has passed the intermediate exam, she also knows the work of a boutique. She has been trying for a government job for the last several years but she could not get a job.

There are thousands of special people like Zakia Parveen who have not been able to get jobs in government and private institutions despite having education, skills and ability. Wajid Hussain, president of the Rights of Special Persons Welfare Foundation (ROSP), says that according to the data of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, 15 to 20 percent of the total population of Pakistan are suffering from some kind of disability, while they The job quota is only three percent.

Wajid Hussain said that one of the reasons why special people do not work is lack of awareness, the family of such people understand how they will go to the office. Apart from this, basic facilities for disabled people especially washrooms are not available in the offices. Half of the salary offered to special people in private institutions is spent on transportation to and from the office.

According to the report of Pakistan Public Administration Research Center Establishment Division for the year 2021-22, the number of special persons recruited under two percent quota in federal departments is 1704, while the total number of federal employees is 5 lakh 75 thousand 354. The most specialized persons are posted in Pakistan Post which is 357 and they are 20.76% of the total number of employees of the department.

According to the report, the number of special persons in Pakistan Navy Civilian Authority, Naval Headquarters is 252 which is 14.65%. There are 86 employees in the Federal Capital Administration, 83 in the Federal Board of Revenue, while 51 special people are performing duties in the Controller General of Accounts Headquarters. There are no transgender employees in any federal department.

Talking about Punjab, the largest province of the country, according to the data of the Department of Social Welfare Punjab, a total of 3 lakh 38 thousand 634 disabled people are registered in the province. In Punjab, three percent quota is reserved for special persons, under this quota, 9,460 disabled people are working in various departments while hundreds of posts are vacant. 7,477 out of disabled people working in government jobs are suffering from physical disabilities. 987 are blind, 853 are speech and hearing impaired and 143 are mentally handicapped.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sayeda Imtiaz Fatima, founder of Independent Living Home, said, “Special people need a disability certificate to get a job, but it is very difficult to get this certificate.” In a city like Lahore only Services Hospital can issue disability certificate. Special people somehow get here and it takes all day. He said that all tehsil, district headquarters hospitals of Punjab including major government hospitals should be given the authority to issue disability certificate.

Zanaiya Chaudhry, a well-known transgender, is working as a Victim Support Officer in the Punjab Police on contract basis. He said that there is no quota for transgenders in government jobs. According to his information, Punjab Police alone has recruited 40 transgenders as Victim Support Officers on contract basis.

Zanaia Chaudhry says that an education degree is required for a government job. All the educated eunuchs, including them, have their gender written on their educational certificates. First they got their gender changed in NADRA records, then they had to get gender changed in their educational certificates but it is a very long process and costs are also high. For this reason, most transsexuals have not changed gender in their educational credentials. He said that there might be a transgender employee in a government department, but they would not be recruited as a transgender but as a man or a woman.

Speaking to the Express Tribune, Jahan Ara Vito, vice-chairperson of Punjab Social Protection Authority, said that Punjab Social Protection Authority gives monthly stipends to around one lakh special people through service card, the annual budget of this authority is around two and a half billion. It is spent on special people. The Department of Labor also works with regard to special persons, which is ensuring the 3% quota reserved for them in employment, on which more than 90% work has been done.

He said that Punjab Social Protection Authority and Akhut together provided interest-free loans to about 32 thousand special people whose recovery is 100 percent. The biggest problem for people with disabilities is lack of basic training, education, technical skills, access to infrastructure, transport and proper treatment facilities.