NGO Akhuwat awaiting govt release of Rs6b promised by PM

ISLAMABAD: Even after the passage of over three weeks, the federal government has not released to a superb NGO a grant of Rs5 billion that Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to provide at an event marking his first 100 days in government on November 29.

The NGO, Akhuwat, has not so far been contacted by the government about the grant, an informed source told The News. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Media Iftikhar Durrani told The News when asked about the delay in furnishing the committed funds that the due process being followed takes time. By announcing the hefty grant to the NGO, the prime minister had maintained the funding to excellently performing organisation for the destitute and widows that had been massively financed by the Shahbaz Sharif government.

In his speech, the premier acknowledged Akhuwat as a unique interest-free programme for poverty alleviation. Akhuwat was the brainchild of Dr Amjad Saqib, a former District Management Group Officer, who had served with Shahbaz Sharif as his deputy secretary in 1997. Besides, he had worked as his key aide in many pro-poor initiatives. In 2001, he founded the NGO after quitting the civil service.

The review of the annual report and audit for 2017 of Akhuwat done by a reputed international company, appearing on its website, reveals that while prior to 2008 Akhuwat was an NGO of a pilot nature, it was the previous provincial government, which granted it some Rs13 billion and made it a national programme extending up to all districts of Punjab as well as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

The amounts so provided have been shown as loans on the website, but an official said that these were not meant to be ever taken back. He said that such funding for Akhuwat was integral part of every budget of the earlier Punjab government. The organisation distributed loans of worth Rs40 billion with a return rate of 99.9pc, enabling its beneficiaries to transform their lives. Nearly 1.8 million families benefited from this colossal funding in Punjab.

Akhuwat visits mosques, localities etc., and finds out the poor for its facilities. They are provided small things like sewing machines, pushcarts, bicycles etc., through microloans so that they earn their livelihood. In its initial years, Akhuwat was a philanthropic venture to see how interest free microfinance would do.

However, by 2003, the donations had increased to Rs1.5 million and the loan recovery rate was 100pc. Consequently, it was decided to initiate Akhuwat as a proper and registered organisation under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.

From 2001 to 2003, Akhuwat managed to receive donations at an exceptional scale. The work that was once handled by Dr Saqib himself and another employee was delegated. These two years became the “action research”, laying the foundation of a great movement and an unmatchable institution to date.