Karachi: President Asif Ali Zardari marked the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty with a message highlighting the need to protect vulnerable families from economic hardship and ensure access to basic necessities and opportunities for a better life. Addressing poverty, he noted, requires sustained efforts in social protection, employment, education, healthcare, and housing.

According to Pakistan Peoples Party, Zardari emphasized the role of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in alleviating poverty by providing financial assistance to vulnerable families, particularly women. BISP has extended social protection to households facing economic hardship and helped them meet essential needs. The president underscored the importance of strengthening such support alongside measures that enable families to enhance their livelihoods.

The United Nations theme for the year, "Safe Homes for All," holds particular significance for Pakistan, Zardari noted, as the 2022 floods left many families without homes and livelihoods. The Government of Sindh's Sindh People's Housing for Flood Affectees (SPHF) programme aims to construct 2.1 million climate-resilient homes for affected families, with hundreds of thousands already completed.

Zardari also reflected on development efforts in areas like Tharparkar, which should improve local communities' access to clean drinking water, education, healthcare, and reliable livelihood opportunities. He reminded that economic development should reach ordinary citizens, echoing the land reforms and labor measures introduced by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The president called for continued efforts to reduce poverty through effective social protection, decent employment, and fair access to essential services, aspiring for a Pakistan where no child goes hungry, no mother fears for her family's future, and every young person has the opportunity to build a better life.