Pakistan's poverty rate reached 28.9 per cent in 2024-25, PPAF Chief Executive Officer Nadir Gul Barech said. He cited a rate of 21.9 per cent in 2018-19, according to a Press Information Department release.
Barech spoke at the opening of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund's two-day international conference in Islamabad on Tuesday. The event brought together government leaders, international delegates and development partners to discuss poverty reduction and economic empowerment.
Under the National Poverty Graduation Programme, 83.6 per cent of participating households had crossed the basic poverty threshold by 2025, Barech said. Another benchmark, set higher, had been reached by 57.7 per cent.
He said PPAF had provided 3.69 million interest-free loans since 2014, with 57 per cent going to women. The reported repayment rate was 98 per cent.
Barech said the organisation operated across 157 districts through 164 partner organisations. It supported more than 171,000 community institutions representing 2.67 million households, with women comprising 63 per cent of membership.
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal called for sustained investment in education, healthcare and skills. He also urged support for women, youth and less-developed regions, particularly Balochistan.
Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah urged linking social protection with livelihoods and vocational skills. He also highlighted access to finance and markets, alongside resilience against economic and climate-related shocks.
Source: Press Information Department (PID), Government of Pakistan (official statement, PID 34278).
