People in many parts of the world are often shocked by the incidence of disability affecting children in Pakistan's rural areas. A survey conducted in 1998 by the Pakistan Census Organization found that 2.5% of all children in rural areas have a disability.

Within this group, 7.9% are blind, 7.5% are deaf, 20.5% have a physical disability, 13.3% are classed as “insane” or “mentally retarded”, 8.3% have multiple disabilities, with the remaining 42.6% having other disabilities. Many of these children have no access to education and no real prospect of a rewarding adult life. The needs of the vast majority of these children and their families go unmet.