KARACHI: At the closing ceremony of the three-day Second National Social Protection Conference held at a private hotel in Karachi, a Letter of Intent was signed between the Vice Chairperson of Punjab Social Protection Authority, JahanAra Manzoor Wattoo and the Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh on Social Protection, Sarfaraz Rajar.

The objective of this agreement was to promote inter-provincial cooperation between Punjab and Sindh and to enhance the effectiveness of the social protection system for deserving individuals.

The special guests of the event included Sindh’s Minister for Planning & Development, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, and the Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Program, Senator Rubina Khalid.

The purpose of establishing the Inter-Provincial Social Protection Forum is to provide a unified platform for provinces to facilitate mutual cooperation, exchange of knowledge and experiences, formulation of joint strategies, and improved social protection services for deserving individuals. Through this forum, all provinces will be able to digitally synchronize their social protection systems, ensuring that deserving individuals can access social protection programs in any province.

Furthermore, the shared allocation of resources, policy-making, data sharing, and effective utilization of technology will enable the design of more sustainable and inclusive programs for vulnerable communities.

While addressing the ceremony, Vice Chairperson of PSPA, JahanAra Manzoor Wattoo, stated that the establishment of the Inter-Provincial Social Protection Forum reflects the unity of all provinces in Pakistan to make social protection more sustainable and effective.

Minister for Planning & Development, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, while sharing his thoughts on the Inter-Provincial Social Protection Forum, stressed that a strong and effective social protection system is essential for the welfare of the underprivileged segments of society. He highlighted the significance of inter-provincial cooperation, stating that joint initiatives and policy exchanges can provide better and more effective facilities for deserving individuals.—PR