LAHORE – Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that for giving a respectable and dignified place to the country in the comity of nations, a begging bowl needs to be broken. “You break this bowl and you will see dependence on others coming to an end.”
Only through depending on the indigenous resources and shunning the assistance of others, the nation can be put to the road of progress on permanent basis,” the CM said. “If hard work and honesty is made a motto, the objectives of creation of Pakistan can be achieved even today.”
He said this while addressing the golden jubilee function held at Al-Hamra under the aegis of Pakistan Society for Rehabilitation of Special Children (Amin Maktab), here on Saturday. Special Secretary Education Abdullah Sumbal, Chief Executive “Akhuwwat” Dr. Amjad Saqib, President Pakistan Society for Rehabilitation of Special Children Justice(R) Aamir Raza Khan, special children, their parents and a large number of people attended.
The CM said that rehabilitation of special children and making a useful citizen by providing education and training to them is the joint responsibility of the government and the society while underscoring the need of reducing social gap between special persons and the society. He disclosed that necessary framework in collaboration with UNESCO is being prepared under which special children will also get education in other schools. He announced that a representative meeting of all concerned will be convened next week for devising a comprehensive policy for the rehabilitation of special children. The CM said that provincial government has taken an important step towards making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state by launching welfare projects for the rehabilitation of marginal segments of the society. He said that shelter has been provided to the poor, worker, orphan, hapless and common man through Aashiyana housing schemes where facilities more than the colonies of elite have been provided. He said that the houses in Ashiyana housing scheme are being allotted in a most transparent manner. Similarly, skilled youth are being provided interest-free loans and yellow cabs to the educated youth for their economic self-reliance.
He said that there is no dearth of anything but when we compare our society with west regarding caring for special persons, we lag far behind them. He said Punjab government has given special importance to the social welfare projects during the last three and a half years and special measures have been adopted for the education and training of special children in the province. He said said that Islam stresses upon its followers to work for the welfare of the humanity. He said that helping the hapless and downtrodden people is a best kind of fulfilling the “Haqooq-ul-Abad”.