“Aawaz II has focused public attention on the rights of women living with disabilities,” commented Ms. Sakina Afridi. She recommended measures to enable women to benefit from all facilities designed for PWDs. Mr. Zawar Noor of the Special Life Foundation said that Aawaz II is genuinely struggling for the rights of PWDs. He mentioned the programme’s success in operationalising the DPR Fund which was dormant since long before Aawaz II started in 2019. He reaffirmed the commitment to continue efforts to make the DPR Fund inclusive, accessible and transparent. Ms. Komal Younis a PWD activist from Abbottabad recommended improved and fraud-proof certification facilities for PWDs. Mr.Ihsan ullah a member of the Provincial Council for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons (PCRDP) demanded a more inclusive and active membership of the Council and suggested establishing district-level committees of PWDs like the Aawaz II platforms that are strengthening connections among PWDs and other vulnerable groups like religious minorities.

The roundtable brought together 20 PWD rights activists and officials from the Social Welfare and Law & Human Rights Departments to discuss ways in which #AawazII experiences could influence policies, laws, public budgets and government programmes to support PWDs, in all their diversity, to be equal citizens. The event commemorated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities celebrated each year on 3 December.

Participants discussed the importance of a progressive law to protect the rights of PWDs and expressed disappointment at the delays in the passage of the Bill that has been revised several times. It was agreed that #AawazII will work with PWD networks and send recommendations to the government to expediting the passage of the Bill.

Essential elements like affirmative job and education quotas, a fair and transparent DPR, and effective and sex-disaggregated data on PWDs should be included in the Bill. An assessment of comparative laws passed by other provinces was also recommended.

Ms. Saima Sohail from the Law & Human Rights Department appreciated the suggestions on the legislation. Mr. Nisar Khan, Deputy Secretary of the Social Welfare Department requested #AawazII and its PWD partners to formally submit their recommendations on the impending Bill.