Pakistan has taken a landmark step forward in its commitment to inclusive development as First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the country's first dedicated autism residential centre alongside a specially designed inclusive park at C-ARTS in Korangi, Karachi-a milestone that places Pakistan firmly among the nations taking the rights and dignity of persons with autism seriously at a national policy level.
The newly opened facility offers a comprehensive ecosystem of care under one roof-providing residential support, respite services, rehabilitation, skills training and long-term therapeutic assistance in a safe, purpose-built environment designed specifically to meet the complex and evolving needs of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, who have for too long been left to navigate an overwhelmed and fragmented care system entirely on their own.
Established by the Sindh government in 2018, C-ARTS has grown into South Asia's largest autism facility-providing free diagnosis, education, vocational training and employment support across multiple locations in the province, serving thousands of families who would otherwise have no access to specialised care. The inauguration also saw the launch of a new digital registration portal designed to streamline access to services and eliminate the bureaucratic barriers that have historically kept the most vulnerable families from reaching the support they desperately need.
Speaking at the ceremony, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Shah reaffirmed their government's unwavering commitment to building a Pakistan where every citizen-regardless of ability-is treated with dignity, empowered with opportunity and never left behind, sending a powerful message to the region that inclusive development is not a luxury but a fundamental obligation of a just and compassionate state.
