Jahan Ara Manzoor Wattoo, Vice Chairperson of the Punjab Social Protection Authority (PSPA), has highlighted the critical importance of a unified and data-driven social protection system for Pakistan. Addressing a consultative session on National Integrated Social Protection in Islamabad, Wattoo called for stronger inter-provincial collaboration to address poverty, social exclusion, and challenges caused by climate change.
The event, organized by the World Bank and UK International Development in partnership with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the Government of Pakistan, brought together stakeholders to discuss aligning data and systems for social protection. Wattoo underscored that cooperation among provinces is now essential to building a resilient and inclusive society. To support this objective, she announced the establishment of the Inter-Provincial Social Protection Forum, an institutional platform designed to promote coordination across provinces, facilitate knowledge exchange, harmonize policies, and adopt successful practices.
Wattoo explained that the new forum will help provinces learn from each other’s achievements, scale up effective initiatives, and ensure that social protection becomes a genuine national priority, leaving no one behind. She expressed gratitude to the World Bank, UK International Development, BISP, and the government for their ongoing efforts to strengthen social safety nets in Pakistan.
During the session, Junaid Amjad, Director of Programs at PSPA, presented the authority’s latest innovative initiatives. He highlighted PSPA’s commitment to leveraging technology, secure data sharing, and enhanced inter-provincial cooperation to further bolster social protection programs in Punjab.
