Islamabad: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Sayed Imran Ahmed Shah, visited the headquarters of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, accompanied by Secretary Navid Ahmed Shaikh, to review the organization’s ongoing welfare initiatives. During the visit, the Managing Director provided a detailed briefing on the progress and impact of multiple social welfare projects.
Over the last five years, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal has extended financial assistance to more than 150,000 patients with serious illnesses, distributing a total of Rs. 15.4 billion. In the education sector, scholarships worth Rs. 970 million have been awarded to over 32,000 students ranging from Grade 11 to PhD levels. The organization has also empowered over 475,000 women through vocational training programs conducted at 165 Women Empowerment Centres.
The welfare efforts also include the operation of 46 Sweet Homes and 160 Child Labour Schools aimed at protecting and educating children. Furthermore, more than 9.7 million individuals have benefitted from 17 Panahgahs, while the “Food for All” initiative operates 30 food vans to distribute meals daily.
Efforts to support persons with disabilities have included providing artificial limbs, assistive devices, and financial support. Additionally, a Senior Citizens Home has been established in Lahore to cater to the elderly.
While appreciating the achievements in health and education, Minister Shah underscored the need for improvement in other areas. He ordered monthly surprise visits to welfare institutions like Panahgahs and Sweet Homes to ensure service quality. He also called for modernized training courses at Women Empowerment Centres and Child Labour Schools, with upgraded certificates to international standards.
Minister Shah emphasized the necessity of regular audits and impact assessments for all projects, advocating for digitization to enhance transparency. He highlighted the importance of expanding child protection centres and schools in former FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and scaling up services like thalassemia centres nationwide.
In conclusion, the Minister stressed that effective, sustainable, and transparent social safety initiatives require a combination of monitoring, training, and technological integration.