ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has launched its first-ever Social Protection Strategy with technical support from the German government, marking a major step toward building an inclusive and resilient welfare system in the province.
The strategy, developed under the Planning and Development Department’s Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) with assistance from GIZ and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), outlines a framework for rights-based and data-driven social protection across KP.
Officials said the new strategy, titled “KP Social Protection Strategy 2025–2030”, translates the province’s 2022 Social Protection Policy into a practical roadmap aimed at integrating multiple welfare programmes, improving coordination, and linking social protection with disaster risk management, gender equality and livelihood promotion.
The launch event in Peshawar, organised by the Public Policy and Social Protection Reforms Unit (PP&SPRU), drew senior representatives from the federal and provincial governments, international development partners, academia and civil society.
Speaking at the event, Muhammad Nadir Khan Rana, Special Secretary at the Planning and Development Department, said social protection was not just a moral obligation but “an investment in human capital and social stability.” He added that resilience at both individual and community levels had become vital amid economic uncertainty and climate risks.
Maria Jose Poddey, Country Director of GIZ Pakistan, called the strategy “a landmark step toward a more inclusive and resilient society,” adding that it reflected “strong political commitment and a shared vision to make social protection responsive, data-driven, and adaptive to economic and climate challenges.”
Muhammad Taufique, Additional Secretary of the department, said the initiative signified a major transition from fragmented welfare schemes to an institutionalised and coordinated framework. “By establishing the Social Protection Authority and harmonising data through a unified registry, we are embedding accountability into governance,” he said.
Muhammad Khalid Zaman, Director General of SDU, said the document was “a testament to effective partnerships and shared vision” between KP and its development partners. The next phase, he added, would focus on implementation to deliver tangible benefits for vulnerable households.
Kamran Khan, Project Director of PP&SPRU, said the new system’s technological backbone, including the Provincial Socio-Economic Registry and a unified payment system, would help ensure transparency and efficiency in service delivery.
In her closing remarks, Johanna Knoess, Head of Project for Adaptive and Social Health Protection at GIZ Pakistan, praised the KP government’s leadership, calling the strategy “rooted in dignity, inclusion and resilience” and “a model for other provinces to follow.”
