Ayesha Saba

The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety (M/o PA&SS) has reported significant progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 1 (no poverty), highlighting key achievements under the National Poverty Graduation Programme (NPGP) as it approaches its official close in December 2025. The ministry has also clarified that no Phase-II of the programme is currently planned, according to a document available with Wealth Pakistan.

The ministry reported that hundreds of thousands of households directly benefited from its initiatives. Specifically, over 165,000 households received vital livelihood assets and technical training, while more than 204,000 households accessed interest-free loans, totaling over 304,000 disbursements. Furthermore, nearly 227,000 households participated in comprehensive livelihood trainings covering enterprise development, financial literacy, and asset management, the document shows.

The programme’s outcomes, as documented in an independent endline survey conducted by a third party, reflect its strong impact on beneficiary households. The survey found that 56 percent of households that received livelihood assets and interest-free loans successfully graduated out of extreme poverty. Moreover, 47 percent of beneficiaries reported an income increase of 30 percent or more. The programme also delivered important social outcomes, with 48 percent of women reporting an increased role in household decision-making. Overall, the initiative created approximately 179,000 new jobs.

The ministry noted that the successful implementation of the NPGP was made possible through close coordination with key federal ministries and departments. The Finance Division supported fiscal allocations and ensured the timely release of funds, while the Economic Affairs Division facilitated external financing arrangements and donor coordination, including engagement with the International Fund for Agricultural Development. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives worked closely with M/o PA&SS to align the programme with national development priorities and integrate poverty graduation indicators into federal SDG frameworks.

As per the document, strong collaboration was also maintained with the Benazir Income Support Programme to synchronize beneficiary targeting through the National Socioeconomic Registry. This coordination helped avoid duplication and enabled ultra-poor households receiving cash assistance to be effectively linked with graduation-focused interventions under the NPGP. The document shows that NPGP stands out as one of the country’s most impactful poverty graduation initiatives, delivering tangible economic and social empowerment for hundreds of thousands of low-income households.

Credit: INP-WealthPk