Pakistan
Country Profile: Pakistan
Statistics
| Human development index (for 2005) | |
| Human development index rank | 136 (UNDP 2007) |
| GDP per capital (PPP) | $2 370 (UNDP 2007) |
| Life Expectancy at birth (years) | 64.6 (UNDP 2007) |
| Combined gross enrolment ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary education | 40.0 per cent (UNDP 2007) |
| Demography | |
| Total population mid-2007 | 163 902 000 (United Nations 2006) |
| Population of persons with disabilities | Not available |
| Proportion of persons with disabilities to total population | 2.49 per cent (1998) (ESCAP 2006, Q 18) * |
| definition of disability | A limitation of performance in one or more activities which are generally accepted as essential basic components of daily living such as partial or complete inability to perform them (ESCAP 2006, Q 19) |
| definition of persons with disabilities | “[A] person who, on account of injury, disease or congenital deformity, is handicapped for undertaking any gainful profession or employment in order to earn his livelihood, and includes a person who is blind, deaf, physically handicapped or mentally retarded.” (Pakistan 1981, art. 2, para. 3) |
| Employment rate of persons with disabilities | Not available (ESCAP 2006, Q 12.1) |
| Access to education | No response provided (ESCAP 2006, Q 6/7.1) |
| Institutional framework | |
| National coordination mechanism or disability focal point | National Council for Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons, established in 1981(ESCAP 2006, Qs 1(i), (ii)) |
| Number of members and composition of the mechanism | A total of 19 members under the chairmanship of the Secretary of the Ministry of Social Welfare and with the Deputy Secretary of the Ministry as Secretary to the National Council, including representatives from relevant divisions and other ministries, eminent persons in the disability field, the National Council of Social Welfare and registered trade unions (ESCAP 2006, Q 1(ii)) |
| Legislative and policy framework | |
| Mention on disability in constitution | Indicates that the State shall: “(d) provide basic necessities of life, such as food, clothing, housing, education and medical relief, for all such citizens, irrespective of sex, caste, creed or race, as are permanently or temporarily unable to earn their livelihood on account of infirmity, sickness …” (Pakistan 1973, part II, chap. 2, art. 38) |
| comprehensive disability law | No (ESCAP 2006, Q 9) ** |
| Disabilitiy-specific anti discrimination law | No (ESCAP 2006, Q 10) |
| Sectoral disbility laws | Cover: employment; building code (drafting stage); and transportation (drafting stage) (ESCAP 2006, Q 8(i)) |
| National plan of action on disability | National Plan of Action 2006 to implement the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities (ESCAP 2006, Q 2(ii)) |
| National efforts to promote an Inclusive Society | |
| Employment quota scheme | Not less than 1 per cent of all employees in Government, commercial or industrial establishments in which the number of workers employed at any time during a year is not less than 100 (Pakistan 1981, art. 10) *** |
| National accessibility standard | The process of legislation for the Physical Accessibility Act is in progress (ESCAP 2006, Q 13.1) |
| Standardized sign language | Not available; a national standard finger Braille exists (ESCAP 2006, Q 19.1) |
| ICT accessibility guideline | No (ESCAP 2006, Qs 17.1, 18.1) |
| Financial commitment | |
| Proportion of disability (social) spending to GDP or entire national budget | Not available |
| Annual budget allocated to the national coordination mechanism | Approximately 500 million Pakistan rupees (ESCAP 2004c, Q 1-b) |
| Commitment to regional and international instruments on disability | |
| Signatory to the Proclamation of the Decade | 1993 (ESCAP 2004b) |
| Ratification of ILO Convention159 | 25 October 1994 (ILO 2009) |
| Ratification or signatiory of the conventions on the Rights of Person with Disabilities, and its Optional Protocol | Signed the Convention on 25 September 2009 (United Nations 2009) |
| * Response refers to the National Census Report, 1998. ** Two bills: the Pakistan persons with disabilities act 2008 and The persons with disabilities (equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation) act 2008 are currently being formulated (Pakistan 2009). ***The Official Bills for Enacting Legislation Concerning Disabled Persons (Employment & Rehabilitation) Act, 2004 regarding the increase of the quota to 2 per cent was submitted to the cabinet for approval in August 2006 (Pakistan 2006). |
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Source: http://www.unescap.org/ESID/psis/disability/publications/glance/Disability_at_a_Glance2009.pdf
APCD Activities
Launching the "Make the Right Real" Campaign, Pakistan, 26-31 January 2011
