Overview
- President Asif Ali Zardari emphasized accessible education and inclusive public services as a constitutional and moral obligation, urging integration of accessibility standards across buildings, government services and digital platforms.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government is committed to equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and highlighted achievements of visually impaired Pakistanis, citing diplomat Saima Saleem at Pakistan’s UN Mission.
- Sharif noted Pakistan’s membership of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its 2023 ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty to expand access to published materials in accessible formats.
- Both leaders paid tribute to the resilience of persons with visual impairment and called on federal and provincial authorities, institutions, civil society and the private sector to work together to remove barriers.
- The statements marked World Braille Day, which honors Louis Braille’s tactile literacy system and was designated on January 4 by the UN General Assembly in 2018.