According to the document available with NayaDaur, the CDA building control wing collected the data of more than 400 buildings capital to assess whether the buildings are people-friendly and accessible to the persons with disabilities (PWDs). But it was found that only a few buildings in the federal capital had mechanism for persons with disabilities.
An official of the building control wing, Raheel Junejo, told NayaDaur that the buildings constructed in the initial phase were not forced to make the structures PWDs-friendly. “It is too late but we have issued notices to more than 400 owners of the commercial buildings in the federal capital to make these PWDs-friendly otherwise their buildings would be sealed in future,” he said.
“Unfortunately, only a few buildings have a little bit mechanism for PWDs but they are also risky for them, because the ramps are not friendly and the lifts aren’t working since long or having no fitness certificate,” Junejo added.
It’s pertained to mentioned that according to the World Report on Disability, “It is estimated that 10-12% of the total population of Pakistan are living with various forms of disabilities, but despite that, a majority of them are deprived of their basic right to education, health, employment among others and leading a miserable life.”
According Junejo, the Parliament has now passed a bill for the persons with disabilities in which effective access to buildings is necessary following. As a result, the building control wing has decided that no objection certificate (NOC) would be issued to any building prior to the commitment of making building friendly to the PWDs.
Meanwhile, it is noted that not only the old buildings but also those constructed three years ago have no single mechanism for effective access of disabled people.