ISLAMABAD: Over 832,858 persons have benefitted so far from various pro-poor initiatives of the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) including individual financial assistance, providing medical aid, technical education etc.
PBM was running Pakistan Sweet Homes, Child Support Programme, Thalassemia Centre, Great Homes, Vocational Training Centres and National Centre for Rehabilitation of Child Labour. PBM Managing Director Barrister Abid Waheed Sheikh said that the focus of PBM was to provide much needed solace to the deserving and needy.
PBM had been helping people in breaking the vicious circle of inter-generational poverty as well as providing wheel chairs to disable persons, while special persons were also being provided white canes and hearing aids. He said that PBM had recommended to enhance its budget upto Rs 7.5 billion from current four billion rupees aiming to help maximum number of the poor.
The suggestion if materialised would enable PBM to serve much larger number of deserving people. He said that PBM has recently introduced biometrics system for ensuring transparency in the distribution of individual financial assistance (IFA) among the deserving persons. PBM Child Support Programme (CSP) has enrolled over 35,000 potential families having 85,000 school going children. They are provided free education, residence and food facilities. Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal helps the families for enabling them to educate their children.
CSP is currently being run in 8 districts and UNICEF was planning to expand the programme in more districts.Currently CSP is running in Bhakkar, Rawalpindi, Multan, Bahawalpur, Islamabad Capital Territory, Muzaffarabad, Ghanche, Nawabshah, Tharparkar, Ghotki, Kohistan, Abbottabad, Swat, Quetta, Kharran and Lasbella. PBM was also paying Rs 300 per month to families with one child and Rs 600 per month to families with two or more children. An amount of Rs 184 million approximately has been disbursed among eligible beneficiaries upon fulfillment of compliance conditionalities in CSP. PBM has so far provided IFA to over 84,403 people through biometrics system.
Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) has disbursed a sum of Rs 150.30 million to deserving persons under various financial assistance programmes during last three years. Meanwhile, the deserving children are also being admitted in National Centre for Rehabilitation of Child Labour to save them from child labour. A total of 17,547 child labours were being imparted education in 158 Centres. As many as 26,000 students had completed their education and 23,290 have been admitted in government schools for getting further education.
Over 35 Pakistan Sweet Homes (PSHs) were working across the country for providing boarding and other facilities to orphan children. Children from 4 to 6 years are admitted in PSH. Each PSH accommodates 100 children however over 350 children are residing in two PSHs working in Karachi Company and H-9, Islamabad. Two more PSHs are being established in Zhob and Quetta. Over 3,700 children are residing in PSHs.
The Centre provides a ray of hope to orphans and less privileged, who cannot afford the cost for the treatment of this serious disease. According to a report approximately 100,000 patients are suffering from Thalassemia in Pakistan and every year 5,000 babies are born with this deadly disease. Poor, destitute, orphans, widows, invalid and infirm patients are eligible to apply for the treatment from PBM Thalassemia centre. Application is required alongwith a copy of computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) issued by NADRA or its receipt along with a copy of old NIC.
