PBM extends aid to 11.62m individuals during current year

Islamabad:Managing Director of Pakistan Baitul-Mal (PBM), Malik Amir Fida Paracha on Monday revealed that over the past year, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal assisted over 11.62 million individuals in need, with more than 10 million finding shelter in homes, facilitated 68,272 educational scholarships and provided financial support to 250,000 individuals for medical treatment.

During an interview with APP he stated that Pakistan Baitul-Mal was offering both housing and education to orphans through Sweet Homes. These Sweet Homes are located in various regions across the country, comprising 11 in Islamabad and Azad Kashmir Region, 9 in Lahore, 5 in Multan, 3 in Gilgit-Baltistan, 11 in Sindh, 8 in KPK, and four in Balochistan. In these homes, he said orphaned and homeless children receive a range of complimentary services, including standard accommodation, meals, education, uniforms, books, medical care, skill development programs, laundry services, religious education, and counselling.

The sweet homes admitted orphaned children between the ages of 4 and 6. Presently, there are 6,000 orphans residing in Pakistan Sweet Homes. According to the Managing Director of Bait-ul-Mal, as of September this year, 13.23 million individuals had received assistance from shelter homes, while 12.20 million had been provided with two daily meals, and 99,657 had found shelter. Among the beneficiaries of Shelter Homes, 4.52 million are from Islamabad, 2.3 million from Sindh, 614,000 from Balochistan, and 2.2 million from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Addressing a query, he explained that Thalassemia is a hereditary disease. According to a report, Pakistan has approximately 100,000 individuals living with Thalassemia, and each year, around 5,000 children are born with this life-threatening condition. Patients with Thalassemia receive scheduled blood transfusions after consulting with a qualified haematologist, accompanied by routine diagnostic tests conducted on a monthly basis. Considering the rising prevalence of thalassemia, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal has established state-of-the-art Thalassemia-Centres in Islam­abad, Azad Kashmir, Nor­­thern Areas and Gilgit-Baltistan, where patients receive free treatment. Over the past three years, financial aid was extended to 3,000 patients. In the year 2020, blood support was offered to 9,330 Thalassemia patients.

He mentioned the establishment of Women Empowerment Centres by Bait-ul-Mal, aimed at empowering women through various skill-building courses. To date, these centres have provided training to 277,238 women, helping them attain self-sufficiency and improve their quality of life in society. Malik Amir Fida Paracha, the Managing Director of Baitul-Mal, said that during the fiscal year 2022-23, a total of 13.2 million beneficiaries have already received assistance from shelter homes.