Peshawar: Advisor to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Social Welfare, Special Education, and Women Empowerment, Malik Liaqat Ali Khan was given a detailed briefing regarding the Poverty Alleviation Component (PAC) of the Kohat Division Development Program (KDDP).
The meeting was attended by Social Welfare Secretary Sharif Hussain, Social Welfare Director Muhammad Saleh, KDDP Program Director Hashmat Ali, Poverty Reduction Coordinator Faridullah Shah, Karak District Social Welfare Officer Dr. Muhammad Hussain, and other relevant officials.
The briefing highlighted that the objective of the PAC is to accurately identify the poorest and most deserving households in the Kohat Division and provide them with productive assets, skills, and employment opportunities, thereby steering them toward self-reliance and economic stability.
The program covers the districts of Karak, Hangu, and Kohat. It was further stated that productive assets would be provided to a total of 5,000 deserving households under the PAC, comprising 2,500 households in Karak, 1,500 in Hangu, and 1,000 in Kohat.
According to the briefing, a selection process based on online applications, needs assessment, verification of BISP PMT scores, and merit-based automated scoring has been adopted to identify the beneficiaries.
A total of 87,443 applications were received under the program, comprising 75,633 from Karak, 6,963 from Kohat, and 4,847 from Hangu.
The briefing highlighted that applicants prioritized various employment and business assets, including agricultural machinery, tailoring machines, beauty parlor setups, grocery stores, fast-food carts, and tools for mechanical, electrical, electronic, and plumbing trades.
Malik Liaqat Ali Khan directed that carpet-making skill training centers also be included in the PAC initiative to equip deserving individuals with skills and provide them with opportunities for dignified, sustainable livelihoods.
He emphasized the need for a transparent, merit-based selection process taking into account category-wise and area-specific data to ensure that benefits reach the truly deserving individuals and families.
He stated that the program’s primary objective should be to provide deserving individuals with a sustainable source of income and steer them toward self-reliance.
The briefing also outlined the procedures for assessing needs, selecting beneficiaries, procuring and distributing productive assets, and conducting post-distribution monitoring through field visits. It was stated that improvements in the income, employment, and economic status of the beneficiaries following the provision of assets would also be assessed.
Malik Liaquat Ali Khan directed the concerned officials to ensure transparency, adherence to merit, and the identification of genuinely deserving individuals throughout the implementation stages of the PAC, and to regularly monitor the effective use of the provided assets to achieve the program’s desired outcomes.