ISLAMABAD (Staff Reporter)
The Parliamentary Caucus on Child Rights (PCCR) held a strategic meeting with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) to explore avenues for joint cooperation aimed at improving the lives of children across the country.
The meeting was opened by Dr. Nighat Shakeel Khan, Convener of the PCCR, who welcomed the participants and emphasized the need for collective efforts to ensure children’s well-being in Pakistan.
The PPAF team delivered a comprehensive presentation, highlighting the organization’s ongoing initiatives in education, health, and nutrition for children in some of the country’s most vulnerable districts. The session focused on identifying root causes of poverty and discussed strategic pathways to enhance child welfare and protection through collaboration.
Both parties expressed a strong commitment to work together in areas of mutual interest, particularly in:
- Expanding access to quality education,
- Improving child nutrition, and
- Strengthening community resilience.
Dr. Nighat Shakeel Khan also spoke about her recent efforts to establish provincial-level caucuses for children’s rights and noted that similar institutional mechanisms are being planned for Balochistan, in partnership with PPAF.
Key attendees from the National Assembly included Zaib Jaffar, Farah Naz Akbar, Zehra Wadood Fatemi, and Dr. Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, along with other key members of the PCCR.
The PPAF delegation was represented by Arshad Rasheed (Chief of Programs), Zahid Hussain (Head of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning), and Rabia Babar (Manager, Media and Communications).
The meeting concluded with a shared vision to strengthen child rights and protection mechanisms nationwide through policy support, programmatic interventions, and institutional collaboration.