ISLAMABAD: A two-day ‘International Conference on Inclusive and Resilient Economic Empowerment and Growth’ will be held in Islamabad on 13th and 14th October, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation Syed Imran Ahmad Shah announced.
The participants from 12 countries will attend the conference to explore sustainable solutions to poverty, promote inclusive economic growth and strengthen livelihood resilience through policy dialogue, knowledge-sharing and cross sector collaboration.
Addressing a press briefing along with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) Chief Executive Officer Nadir Gul Barech, the federal minister said the conference was aligned with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “Uraan Pakistan” vision of advancing public welfare and inclusive economic development, particularly for disadvantaged and economically vulnerable communities.
Shah said the conference would provide a platform to assess progress in poverty alleviation, exchange evidence based insights and strengthen collaboration among public institutions, development partners and local communities to translate policy priorities into tangible development outcomes.
He also emphasised media’s role in raising public awareness of poverty alleviation programmes and communicating their impact.
He urged journalists to highlight the initiatives and future plans of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and PPAF to improve public understanding of available support and economic opportunities.
PPAF CEO Nadir Gul Barech said being held under the theme “Poverty to Prosperity”, the two-day conference is being organised by PPAF in collaboration with the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, the Centre of Excellence for National Cohesion and Outreach, and Paigham-e-Pakistan ahead of the United Nations’ International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on October 17.
Barech said sustainable poverty alleviation required an integrated approach extending beyond short-term assistance to encompass social protection, skills development, productive assets, access to finance and stronger links with markets.
He said vulnerable households remained exposed to economic shocks, including floods, illness and income losses, making resilient livelihoods essential to sustaining progress.
Outlining PPAF’s development initiatives, Barech said the organisation operated in 157 districts through 164 partner organisations and had facilitated 3.69 million interest-free loans worth Rs149.61 billion since 2014, with a reported recovery rate of 98 per cent.
He added that PPAF-supported initiatives had contributed to the creation of more than 88,000 jobs, while 501,500 people had received skills and vocational training.
The organisation had also supported 35,290 community infrastructure schemes, benefiting approximately 17.57 million people.
CEO PPAF said the global conference would draw on Pakistan’s development experience and lessons from South Asia and other regions to identify approaches that could be adapted and expanded to promote sustainable poverty reduction, broaden economic participation and strengthen community resilience.
The minister and the PPAF CEO responded to questions from media representatives concerning poverty alleviation programmes, community empowerment and the conference’s objectives and expected outcomes.
