Balochistan government expands social welfare initiatives

QUETTA, Jul 17 (APP): Director General Social Welfare Balochistan, Mir Saifullah Khan Khetran, on Friday reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to the welfare, social protection, and empowerment of marginalized communities.

He stated that special persons, women, orphaned children, senior citizens, and other vulnerable groups would be provided equal opportunities and improved social services to ensure they live dignified lives.

Talking to APP, Mir Saifullah Khetran explained that comprehensive reforms were being introduced to modernize the Social Welfare Department, enhance institutional capacity, and deliver effective services to the public. He emphasized that all welfare schemes were being advanced transparently and on merit, ensuring that genuine beneficiaries received government facilities in a timely manner.

The DG highlighted that in recent years, thousands of special persons have been provided with wheelchairs, electric wheelchairs, special motorbikes (tricycles), and other assistive devices. He noted that the distribution process was ongoing, with the aim of enabling persons with disabilities to become confident, independent, and active members of society.

Khetran shared that last year, hundreds of deserving and skilled individuals received livelihood kits and vocational tools. These included sewing machines, washing machines, handicraft equipment, plumbing and electrician toolkits, mobile phone repair kits, and other professional materials.

He explained that these initiatives were designed to provide respectable employment opportunities, reduce poverty, and help young people achieve self-reliance.

On the issue of drug rehabilitation, the Director General stated that the department had played an effective role in treating and rehabilitating drug addicts. Through rehabilitation centers, numerous individuals had successfully undergone medical treatment, psychological counseling, and social reintegration. He noted that these efforts had contributed significantly to making Quetta a safer and healthier city, free from drug addiction.

Mir Saifullah Khetran concluded that the Social Welfare Department would continue to expand its welfare projects in line with the policies of the Balochistan government. The focus would remain on providing maximum facilities, skills, employment, and social protection to special persons, deserving families, and vulnerable groups. He stressed that public service, transparency, merit, and good governance were the department’s top priorities, and under this vision, the Social Welfare Department was being transformed into a strong, active, and people-friendly institution.