National Assembly SC supports PPAF initiatives to improve lives of the poor: Mir Ghulam Ali
Karachi (5 May 2025)
Karachi May 5, 2025- Chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee (SC) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety MNA Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur on Monday said that they would support the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) to alleviate poverty and improve lives of the marginialised communities in the country. He said that the poor people should be provided with quality education, health and job opportunities to ease their lives and better future.
While speaking to the PPAF's partners organisations in Sindh during an experience sharing meeting organised by PPAF at a local hotel, Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur said that PPAF's transformative role in empowering marginalised communities through community-led development model was commendable. He was of the view that PPAF’s inclusive and participatory approach was significant to alleviate poverty in the country. Talpur said that the partners were doing good work, but nations were not built by NGOs they merely might fill in the gap. He said that PPAF worked hard in the sectoral development.
Secretary of Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Mr. Navid Ahmad Shaikh speaking on the occasion said that the government was major partner in the whole process of providing relief to the people. He said that the government was committed to improving lives of the marginalised section of the society under various public friendly initiatives. Mr. Shaikh said that PPAF was formed by the government, and we need to identify and adjust within it to develop trust of donors. He also highlighted government’s role and support to uplift the marginalised communities under sustainable projects.
Earlier, welcoming the participants of the meeting, Chairperson of PPAF’s Board of Directors Mr. Mohammad Tahseen reaffirmed PPAF’s commitment to reaching out to underserved and hard-to-access areas of the country. He emphasised that PPAF’s autonomy was its strength.
CEO of PPAF Mr. Nadir Gul Barech highlighted organisation’s transformative role in addressing poverty. He informed that the Standing Committee that since its inception PPAF had mobilised over $1 billion to support multi-sectoral poverty reduction programmes in collaboration with 163 partner organisations in 150 districts of the country.
He said that PPAF’s was working in 27 districts through 47 partners in Sindh. It had disbursed 279,300 interest-free loans, training to 135,400 individuals and reached out to approximately 3.05 million people through water and infrastructure projects.