LAHORE: (Wednesday, December 10, 2025): Punjab University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Ali has said that everyone must play their role in making persons with special abilities vital members of society. He expressed these views while addressing a seminar on ‘Fostering Disability Inclusive Society for Advancing Social Progress’ organized by the Punjab University Institute of Special Education in connection with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities here on Wednesday. On this occasion, Convener of the Parliamentary Caucus for Children with Special Abilities and MPA Syeda Salma Saeed Hashmi, Punjab Secretary for Special Education Shoaib Iqbal Syed, Chairman Allah Wale Trust Shahid Lone, Director ISE Dr Humaira Bano, civil servants, faculty members, and a large number of students were present. In his address, PU VC Prof Dr Muhammad Ali said that in order to understand the needs of persons with special abilities, we must put ourselves in their place and think accordingly. He said that the confidence of parents is the key to the success of their children. Appreciating the services of teachers who train special persons, he said that while everyone else performs a job, these teachers carry out their duties with love, compassion, and empathy. He said that PU’s Institute of Special Education and Child Welfare Centre are playing an excellent role in the education and training of children with special abilities. Syeda Salma Saeed Hashmi said that in line with the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, a parliamentary caucus has been formed to address the issues faced by persons with special abilities. She said that providing facilities to these individuals can bring positive change in society. She said that the government is taking concrete steps to make special persons an equal part of society and paid tribute to the teachers whose efforts enable persons with special abilities to become the pride of Pakistan. She also appreciated PU, ISE and the organizers for holding a seminar on this important theme. Shoaib Iqbal Syed said that collective dialogue is needed to improve the lives of persons with special abilities and make them active members of society. He said that it is a matter of pride that PU graduates are serving in all sectors. He acknowledged the challenges in teaching special persons but stressed that meaningful collaboration between institutions and the government can lead to significant improvement. He said that research must be promoted in line with societal needs and noted that the present government has substantially increased the budget for the welfare of persons with special abilities. Shahid Lone said that they provide food charity daily to 115,000 children studying in government schools and are working to increase this number to 200,000. He said that they provide scholarships for the education and training of special children and are collaborating with other NGOs for further improvement. He emphasized the need to promote focused research for accurate data. Dr Humaira Bano thanked the participants and highlighted the ongoing educational activities at the ISE. She said that graduates of the Punjab University Institute of Special Education are serving as teachers in several public and private universities.