First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi has said that it is our collective moral and social responsibility to take steps to enhance the inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities (PWDs), adding that discriminatory practices against PWDs should be discouraged and eliminated from society. The First Lady expressed these views during her visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Monday, where she held a discussion on the socio-economic issues faced by people with disabilities in Pakistan. Stressing the need to ensure increased accessibility for PWDs, the First Lady lamented the lack of implementation of existing laws. She also emphasised the need to address the existing gaps in implementation, so as to ensure the creation of an inclusive society, where persons with disabilities could flourish. She said that PWDs were an important segment of society and there were many examples of PWDs who did not let their disability overwhelm them and were playing a positive role in society. She called for taking steps to enhance the mobility and access of PWDs so that they could be included in the mainstream of society. In her closing remarks, the First Lady lauded the KCCI’s efforts and encouraged them to play an even greater role in ensuring increased financial inclusion for people with disabilities. The First Lady interacted with key members of the KCCI, as well as prominent members of the business community, local NGOs and various other stakeholders. During the course of the discussion, various hurdles to the financial inclusion of people with disabilities, such as physical, structural and digital barriers, were discussed. The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the premier organisation representing the largest Business and Industrial Community in Karachi.
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