Public welfare stops provincial budget: Minister

PESHAWAR
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister for Social Welfare, Zakat, Ushr and Special Education, Syed Qasim Ali Shah, has termed the provincial budget for 2025–26 as people-friendly and surplus, stating that the provision of facilities to the public has been given top priority.
He said that it is a balanced budget in which comprehensive measures have been proposed for the improvement and development of all sectors. He expressed these views in a statement issued here Sunday.
He said that the budget allocated for the departments of Zakat, Ushr, Social Welfare, and Special Education has been increased by 135%, bringing the allocation to Rs. 19.11 billion.
The government has also outlined major projects for special children. Under a key project, centers for children affected by autism will be established at the divisional level at a cost of Rs. 1.2 billion.
Similarly, five new campuses of the “Zamung Kor” institution are being set up for the care and upbringing of orphaned and underprivileged children, with Rs. 600 million allocated for this initiative.
In addition, the budget also includes a plan to establish shelter homes in North Waziristan and Bajaur to provide temporary housing facilities to homeless persons.
The minister stated that all these initiatives reflect the government’s commitment to the welfare of the people and the rehabilitation of underprivileged segments of society.