Some honours celebrate a single achievement; others illuminate a lifetime of courage and service. For Abid Hussain Lashari, national recognition followed years of challenging the barriers that exclude persons with disabilities from education, employment and community life. His journey began in Jan Muhammad Lashari, a small village near Nawabshah in Shaheed Benazirabad District, Sindh, where a childhood fire caused him to lose both hands.
In a rural community where physical work is closely tied to independence, the accident could have severely limited his future. Social attitudes created additional barriers because persons with disabilities were often considered dependent or incapable. Abid’s parents refused to let those beliefs define him, encouraging him to continue his education and become independent. His teacher, the late Muhammad Bachal Bughio, also recognised his intelligence and determination. Despite inaccessible schools and limited specialised support, Abid developed his own ways of learning and completed a master’s degree in sociology.
His education helped him understand that many difficulties faced by persons with disabilities are not caused by disability itself, but by inaccessible buildings, weak services, poverty and society’s limited expectations. Years later, his determination brought him to Governor House Sindh. Selected as part of the Pakistan Day 2026 civil honours, Abid formally received the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz on May 13, 2026, in recognition of his service to persons with disabilities and his contribution to an inclusive society.
Abid did not accept the honour for himself alone. He dedicated it to children with disabilities, their parents and the teachers, therapists, caregivers and social workers who support them. That gesture reflected his life’s purpose. After witnessing families struggle to afford therapy, transportation and specialised education—and seeing children kept at home because of discrimination or lack of information—he founded the National Disability and Development Forum, or NDF Pakistan, in Nawabshah. Its guiding message is simple: disability does not mean inability. Persons with disabilities are not objects of pity or charity, but equal citizens with rights, talents and ambitions.
In partnership with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of Sindh, NDF developed a network of rehabilitation centres. An earlier profile documented four centres in Nawabshah, Larkana, Gulistan-e-Johar and Gulshan-e-Hadeed, supporting more than 400 children. The network later expanded to Hyderabad, bringing the total to five centres serving more than 500 children with Down syndrome, autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy and other physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The centres provide free speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological support, special education and rehabilitation. Free transportation helps families attend regular sessions. For parents, the centres offer not only treatment but guidance, reassurance and a supportive community. Children who were once excluded from education or social activities gain opportunities to communicate, learn daily living skills and become more independent. As chief executive officer of the Pakistan Down Syndrome Association, Abid has also challenged misconceptions about Down syndrome and promoted access to education, healthcare and social participation.
His advocacy has extended beyond Pakistan. In 2013, Abid participated in the U.S. Department of State-sponsored Legislative Fellowship Program, where he learned about disability rights, accessible public systems and legislative reform. As a member of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network, he applied that knowledge to awareness and policy work in Pakistan. He has represented the country through forums connected with Down Syndrome International, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies, Acumen and the Asia Pacific Down Syndrome Federation.
At the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, Abid highlighted how inaccessible warnings, transportation and shelters place persons with disabilities at greater risk during floods, earthquakes and other emergencies. He has also contributed to academic research with institutions including Aga Khan University. As a co-author of a study published in PLOS Global Public Health, he examined barriers to implementing the Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018. The research shows that passing legislation is only the beginning; real change requires accessible healthcare, education, rehabilitation, assistive devices and coordinated public services.
Abid Lashari’s life is important not simply because he overcame a childhood tragedy, but because he used his experience to improve the lives of others. He transformed personal adversity into an organisation, a rehabilitation network, a platform for policy reform and a movement for dignity and inclusion. His Tamgha-e-Imtiaz honours a man who refused to be defined by what he had lost and chose instead to be measured by what he could give. His continuing mission is to build a Pakistan where persons with disabilities are welcomed into classrooms, workplaces, public institutions and community life as equal citizens.
To learn more about his work and support his efforts towards an inclusive Pakistan, follow Abid Lashari’s latest updates on Facebook.