ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety on Monday stressed the need for strengthening social protection system to provide relief to poor segments of the society. The meeting, chaired by MNA Ghulam Ali Talpur, focused on critical issues related to strengthening social protection systems in Pakistan. The CEO of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) presented an overview of ongoing initiatives, including micro-insurance schemes for agriculture and livestock, funded through government grants. These programmes, active in Balochistan and Sindh, support small and medium enterprises and aim to transition 34pc of BISP beneficiaries off social safety nets. The chair directed PPAF to submit comprehensive reports, including Google Maps locations of ongoing projects, and mandated that NGOs working under PPAF should collaborate with MNAs and public representatives in their respective districts. The committee expressed its dissatisfaction over the PPAF’s briefing materials and directed them to include comprehensive details on donor agencies and address other omissions. The updates on these directives are to be presented at the next meeting. The committee expressed concern over the absence of government audits for PPAF since 2020. The chair directed PPAF to comply with audit requirements. Finally, the committee requested a detailed briefing from the ministry on the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) at the upcoming meeting, reaffirming its commitment to strengthening poverty alleviation and social safety initiatives across the country.