United Nations (TDI): Pakistan has lauded Turkiye’s Darülaceze, a historic social care institution in Istanbul, noting that since its establishment in 1895, it has shown how long-term care works best when state responsibility is combined with philanthropy, volunteerism, and community engagement.
“Darülaceze is a powerful example of how compassion, rooted in social solidarity and public trust, can become a lasting mission,” said Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN, at a side-event held alongside the 64th Session of the UN Commission for Social Development.
The event, co-hosted by Türkiye, Pakistan, Qatar, and Azerbaijan, was titled “Building an Inclusive Long-Term Care System Sustained by Social Solidarity: Türkiye’s 130-Year-Old Home of Compassion ‘Darülaceze’ as an Example of Good Practice.”
Ambassador Ahmad emphasized that the institution’s values align closely with Pakistan’s own traditions of social responsibility, where solidarity-based care is embedded in both public policy and society.
Highlighting Pakistan’s initiatives, he pointed to the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) as a cornerstone of the country’s social protection framework. Funded through the federal budget, BISP provides cash transfers to millions of low-income households, primarily women-led families, playing a key role in poverty reduction, income security, and social inclusion.
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“BISP demonstrates a clear policy choice: protecting the most vulnerable is both a duty of the State and a matter of dignity and rights,” he said.
The ambassador also highlighted the long-standing work of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, which provides assistance to the elderly, women, persons with disabilities, orphans, and individuals without family care. Its services, ranging from residential care and medical support to rehabilitation and vocational training, are funded through a mix of government allocations, zakat, charitable endowments, and voluntary contributions.
Pakistan’s tradition of organized philanthropy and volunteerism was another focus, with Ambassador Ahmad citing the Edhi Foundation as a global symbol of humanitarian service. Operating shelters, ambulance services, old-age homes, and emergency response networks primarily through donations and volunteers, the Foundation exemplifies society-driven care.
He also noted the increasing contributions of charitable trusts, faith-based organizations, and private-sector corporate social responsibility initiatives in supporting long-term and community-based social services in Pakistan.
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Calling for stronger international support, Ambassador Ahmad urged the UN and global financial institutions to help scale and sustain solidarity-driven care models, emphasizing their role as fundamental pillars of inclusive social development.
