Social welfare Organizations in Pakistan

There are four major Social welfare Organizations in Pakistan.

1. Edhi Foundation
2. Al-khidmat Foundation
3. Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital
4. Ansar Burni Welfare Trust

It was founded in 1951 by Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife Bilquis Edhi, with headquarter at Karachi and branches all over Pakistan. The Organization works in the areas of social welfare on humanitarian grounds and focuses on rehabilitation of orphans and handicapped person by providing them with shelter, education, healthcare etc. The organization is famous for its ambulance services, blood and drug banks and hospitals that are available in emergencies and accidents. The Edhi services are available for the funeral ceremonies and burial of un-identified people died helplessly, for the care of the abandoned babies in maternity centers, for rehabilitation of lost children and kidnapped woman. Edhi Foundation has now branches in several countries like the USA, Uk, Canada, Japan and Bangladesh, where they provide relief to refugees. In 1991, the Foundation provided aid to victims of the Gulf war and earthquake victims in Iran and Egypt. The organization is exclusively financed for all its activates by the donation of the general public. In 1985, Abdul Sattar Edhi received civil award of Nishan e Imtiaz from the government of Pakistan. Similarly, the government of Philippines awarded Edhi and Bilquis with Magsayay award in recognition of their humanitarian services.

This organization started working under the auspices of jama’at Islami Pakistan in 1947 with the inception of Pakistan, by extending support and rehabilitation services to thousands of Muslim refugee migration from India. The foundation has spread its network in most parts of the East and west Pakistan by 1951. However, it was registered with present name in 1992, with headquarter at Lahore. Its aim is to service humanity without discrimination by religion, race, cast sect, language or political affiliation. Its on-going regular projects include education for girls and boys in backward areas of Pakistan, with over 1200 schools all over the country. Al-khidmat provided valuable health services to poor and destitute, particularly to the refugees from Afghanistan in 1990’s after the soviet intervention. At present, many mobile dispensaries and hospitals are working under its control. The organization provided valuable relief services to the affected people during 2009 military operation in Swat, KPK (former NWFP), and emergency relief services during 2010 floods throughout Pakistan. The Japanese government provided valuable financial support for the rehabilitation of flood affected masses. However, Al-khidmat depeds mainly on public donation for all its activities.

It was founded in 1994 by the Pakistani cricket superstar. Imran Khan (now chairman of the Pakistan tehreek e insaf) in memory of his mother, who died of cancer. The hospital was build with the donations of common masses of Pakistan. The objective is to alleviate the suffering of cancer patients through the application of modern technology, irrespective of their ability to pay, and to perform research into the causes and treatment of this fatal disease. It has blood collection and reporting centers in all important cities of Pakistan. The hospital is managed by a professional team from clinical and administrative background and the Board of Governors formulates all its policies. The hospital is working on no profit no loss basis and all the indoor treatment is free of cost. The second branch was already opened in Peshawar on 29 December 2015. It was built according to modern techniques and even bigger than that of the hospital in Lahore. Imran Khan had also made a plan to construct another SKMCH in Karachi which is already the most populated city in the country.

This trust was established in 1980 by Ansar burni at Karachi as a non-political, non-government and non-profitable organization with the objective to work for human rights and to fight against all forms of injustices, inhumane and degrading treatment, child abuse, cruelty to woman and civil violations of human rights. The organization is ever ready to raise awareness of human rights and to provide free legal advice and services to affected but helpless people. The trust has so far released around 70,000 persons confined in different jails around the world, has raised voice against the inhumane trafficking of underage children to Middle East as ‘Child Camel Jockeys’ and smuggling of poor young girls apparently for marriage but actually for prostitution, has made successful efforts to release Pakistani and Indian sailors from the Somali pirates and so on and so forth. The government of Pakistan conferred upon Mr. Ansar Barni the civil award of Sitata e Imtiaz in 2002 and the state Department of USA declared and awarded him as the International Human Rights Hero in 2005. He enjoys the status of the United Nations Expert Advisor on Human Rights. The Ansar Burni Trust exclusively depends on the donations from general Public.