Punjab Disability Support
Maryam Ko Batao App: Supporting Persons with Disabilities in Lahore
Across Punjab, families who once struggled for years to afford mobility and hearing devices are now receiving them within weeks — free of cost. Beneficiaries credit a mobile application called Maryam Ko Batao (“Tell Maryam”), which lets citizens register their needs directly with the Punjab Chief Minister’s office.
The initiative was filmed and documented at a distribution event. Dozens of families gathered there — many travelling from different parts of Lahore and beyond. They came to collect devices they had applied for weeks or months earlier.
Reporters on the ground watched children arrive with their parents. Some received hearing aids for the very first time. Others collected electric wheelchairs that would let them attend school or college independently.
Inclusion of persons with disabilities in everyday life is widely seen as a marker of how a society treats its most vulnerable citizens. In many households across Punjab, a single hearing aid or a motorized wheelchair represents years of saved income that families simply don’t have.
Programs like Maryam Ko Batao try to close that gap. They connect people directly to the resources they need, without the cost or the layers of bureaucracy that often stand in the way.
What People Are Actually Receiving
At a recent distribution event, beneficiaries described the process. They applied through the app, went through verification and a medical assessment, and then received devices including:
- Electric wheelchairs for students and adults with mobility impairments
- Hearing aids for children and adults with hearing loss
- Modified three-wheeler motorbikes for people with limited leg mobility
- Scooties (scooters) for individuals seeking independent, everyday commuting
Most recipients said the process took roughly one to three months from application to delivery, including a mandatory verification and medical testing stage.
Real Stories from the Ground
“I applied for the electric wheelchair because it’s hard for me to travel and study without it. This will make going to college and studying much easier.”
“My daughter couldn’t follow her lessons at school because of her hearing. Her teachers already treat her like any other student — now with the hearing aid, I believe she’ll finally be able to hear and understand her lessons.”
“We applied online and got a call about a month later. Today we received the hearing aid. I’ve prayed for this for so long — now I hope my child will be able to speak and study like other children.”
“Before, I depended on someone else just to leave the house. Now, I’ll be able to go wherever I need on my own.”
“I used to rely on ride-hailing apps to get to my office. I saw an ad for Maryam Ko Batao on Facebook, applied, and about two months later, I have my own bike. My mobility for work is back.”
When asked what she wants to become when she grows up, she answered without hesitation: “A doctor — so I can fix other people.” Her father, who is not formally educated, said his son filled out the application after seeing the program advertised. Before the wheelchair, the family managed her mobility “just with gestures,” he said.
“Maryam Nawaz has done a great deal, especially for poor people — and for pensioners like us too. May Allah keep her well.” He also struggles with speech because of his hearing loss, and hopes the new device will help him communicate.
“My legs gave out on me. This is the best thing that could have happened — my dependence on others has ended. Whatever comes next, I hope it brings more ease, not just for me but for my whole family.”
Several parents mentioned turning to the app after hearing about it from a relative, a colleague, or a Facebook advertisement. Word of mouth seems to have played a big role in awareness of the program.
One mother recalled being told by a family member: “someone told us to apply, that Maryam Nawaz’s program is giving this out.” She said the response, once she applied, came faster than she expected.
A System Beneficiaries Called Fair
Several people interviewed specifically pointed out that the process was merit-based. One father put it simply: “There was a proper numbering system — no recommendation or personal connections were needed to get approved.”
How the Application Process Works
Based on accounts from multiple beneficiaries, the process generally follows these steps:
🔍 Frequently Asked Questions
Why This Matters
Devices like hearing aids and electric wheelchairs are often too expensive for many families to afford on their own. A single hearing aid alone can cost more than many households earn in a month. Mobility devices like electric wheelchairs or adapted motorbikes are frequently out of reach entirely.
By removing that financial barrier, and using a transparent, numbered application process, this initiative aims to help children stay in school, adults get to work, and families reduce their day-to-day dependence on others.
For students like Ayesha and the fifth-grader who wants to become a doctor, the impact goes beyond convenience. It changes what’s possible. Independent mobility means fewer missed classes and less reliance on family members to carry or accompany them everywhere.
For parents of children with hearing loss, a working hearing aid can be the difference between a child following along in class or falling behind simply because they couldn’t hear the lesson.
For adults, the devices carry a different but equally significant weight. A modified motorbike or wheelchair can mean the difference between holding down a job and being unable to commute to one.
One recipient, previously dependent on ride-hailing services just to reach his workplace, described regaining a level of independence at work he hadn’t had in years. Another spoke of no longer needing someone to “watch and wait” for him before he could leave the house.
What Beneficiaries Are Saying to the Chief Minister
A recurring theme throughout the interviews was direct gratitude toward Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the Social Welfare Department. Several beneficiaries used the opportunity to send a message specifically to the CM.
They thanked her for what they described as an initiative that “thinks about the third person” — a reference to those often overlooked in mainstream policymaking. Others prayed for her continued success. More than one beneficiary expressed hope that she would go on to hold higher office in the future.
Multiple beneficiaries voiced hope that similar welfare programs would continue and expand across Punjab. They described the program as a real, tangible change in their lives.
As one father summarized it: “This is a government initiative, and previously these things simply weren’t happening. Now we expect more of this kind of welfare work, so that ordinary people can benefit.”