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ISLAMABAD, Mar 24 (APP):Managing Director (MD), Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM), Senator Captain Shaheen Khalid Butt Monday highlighted the crucial role of media in resolving national issues and raising public awareness.
Addressing a press briefing at the organization’s headquarters, Shaheen Butt expressed deep respect for journalists, acknowledging journalism as a sacred profession upheld by responsible and patriotic individuals.
Discussing poverty-related challenges in Pakistan, he stressed that no country can tackle such issues alone. Welfare organizations, politicians, philanthropists, the media, and professionals from all walks of life must collectively contribute to social welfare efforts.
Senator Butt provided an overview of PBM, which was established in 1992 to support the underprivileged and promote the vision of an Islamic welfare state.
Over the past 33 years, PBM has emerged as Pakistan’s leading welfare organization, extending nationwide support for healthcare, education, and social protection.
PBM assists patients suffering from cancer, heart diseases, hepatitis, kidney ailments, dialysis, and transplants. It also funds cochlear implant surgeries for hearing-impaired children, helping them regain their ability to hear and communicate.
Additionally, the organization provides wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids, and other assistive devices to disabled individuals.
To support education, PBM pays tuition fees for deserving students. Across Pakistan, including Azad Kashmir, it operates 162 Women Empowerment Centers, where nearly 300,000 women have received vocational training for economic self-sufficiency.
The organization also runs 46 Sweet Homes, providing shelter and education to 4,172 orphaned children, and 160 schools, rescuing child laborers from hazardous work and integrating them into the education system.
Under the “Orphan and Widow Support Program”, PBM provides financial assistance to impoverished families to ensure the education of orphaned children. The organization also operates 17 shelter homes (Panahgahs), offering temporary accommodation, dinner, and breakfast to homeless individuals, alongside 33 mobile food trucks that distribute meals at designated locations.
Highlighting PBM’s Ramazan 2025 initiative, MD Senator Butt announced the “Mehman-e-Ramzan” (Host of Ramazan) program, through which over 1.77 million Iftar boxes have been distributed to underprivileged individuals, ensuring food quality and dignity during distribution.
The initiative has received widespread public appreciation, benefiting remote and underdeveloped areas across Pakistan.
Senator Butt, who took charge as MD of PBM three months ago on an honorary basis, reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing social protection programs in line with the Prime Minister’s vision. He announced plans to expand welfare initiatives further, ensuring sustainable solutions to poverty.
“I personally meet applicants daily to address their concerns and develop effective poverty alleviation strategies. Beyond financial aid, we aim to make people self-sufficient so they can support themselves and their families,” he stated.
Concluding the press briefing, he urged media representatives to collaborate with PBM in spreading awareness about its welfare initiatives and mobilizing philanthropists and welfare organizations to contribute to the noble cause.