OUR BLOGS

As witnessed during this pandemic, we all need doctors, especially our disabled community. For example, during the first wave of COVID-19 in Gilgit Baltistan, two doctors helped us identify a Ghizer patient who was hypoglycemic and had some form of Autism or mental health issues. The patient’s family desperately needed medications ranging from 25,000 PKR to 30,000 PKR.

The Gilgit-Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement GB GWM is an organization working on community and skills-based development for persons with disabilities in Gilgit-Baltistan.

This recently registered organization is being run by persons with disabilities, primarily students keen to showcase their work on a national, regional, and international stage. Today, we are joined by Ghulam Muhammad Baig, CEO of GB GWM, Farhan Baig, President, and Abrar Ahmed, General Secretary.

Please listen to the tunes of Nizam Uddin and Shah Zohaib, a student of the Goodwill development center.

Muhammad Ali once said ‘ If my mind can conceive it if my heart can believe it–then I can achieve it.” Of course, a boxer from an ethnic minority in the USA was unthinkable in the 1950s and 60s America, but no matter what his circumstances were, he always fought on; that\\\’s what we need to do in our society.

With all due respect to Amjad Hussain, the Leader of the Opposition, for raising a voice about persons with disablities, we do not accept the fact that special persons should only receive a stipend of 2000 Pakistani rupees (10$) per month. This is a highly irresponsible comment to say within these economic circumstances. Instead of giving us 10$ per month, why does the government not introduce educational, skills-based programs that we can use to empower ourselves.

A society can not flourish without persons with disablities contributing to it. However, persons with disablities in the developed world are not disabled; in fact, some have even addressed them as differently-abled. Therefore, regardless of the semantics, persons with disablities should have the right to education, whether from Ghizer, Hunza, Astore, or Gilgit. The Government cannot be just blamed for disability exclusion; CIVIL SOCIETY IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE. For example, in Q2 of 2021, Disablity employment increased within the UK

Gilgit Baltistan, the hub of tourism in Pakistan, faces an ethical dilemma. Its mountains and views are breathtaking, and its people are peace-loving, but the issue for its persons with disablities is very tragic. Persons with disablities , special persons’, are socially excluded from society or from family. If they are fortunate and the family does support them, then they are only educated to the primary level, rending them of further educational opportunities. If a PWD has to be educated, they must go down south to other provinces which aren’t affordable for everyone. On top of that, there is no hostel facility for persons with disablities. Rending disabled children who live outside of Gilgit, are excluded as the National Accountability Bureau, has taken over their building which is unethical on many levels.

The Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement runs a skill-based development center for persons with disablities. We aim to provide the skills that will help these disabled individuals in the future, whether in employment or education.GBGM was started by a struggle felt by Ghulam Muhammad Baig, a Scottish-Pakistani Disabled activist. On regular visits to Pakistan and his memory of Gilgit, he thought he was not the only one that did not fit into the ‘norm ‘ Baig, back in 2020, was doing his independent activism in Gilgit Baltistan. However, he was funding food projects that lasted only in the short term, be it one week, two weeks, or a month. As a result, he was not getting the impact that he wanted

We fully support the rights of blind persons to protest against the GB Government on 26th July.

About the protest

The Gilgit Baltistan\\\’s Government passed an act, Persons with Disablities, 2019, which states \\\’ The government shall reserve a quota of 03 % (three percent)

Personal tragedies are often depicted in the dark. Individual achievements are often boasted about. To understand one’s problem, one has to experience it. Sometimes in life, personal tragedies become one’s opportunities. If one were to think of our experiences, at some point or the other, we, as disabled individuals, gave up. Often the case, one’s own identity was questioned. When I look back on my own experience, I could not be more thankful for this opportunity to serve humanity, serve my community and share my experiences with my fantastic team in Gilgi