In a high-level gathering at the Planning & Development Board, Punjab, policymakers, development experts, and civil society leaders came together under the URAAN Vision to champion children’s rights in the upcoming FY 2025–26 budget.The pre-budget dialogue, held in collaboration with the P&D Board and UNICEF Pakistan, featured voices including Member Punjab Assembly Mr. 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐈𝐪𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐲, Chief Economist Mr. 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐫, UNICEF Deputy Representative Ms. 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐥, Member Punjab Assembly Ms.𝐈𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐟, Ms. 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐞𝐞𝐝, Chairperson of the Child Protection & Welfare Bureau Ms. 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐚𝐝, and other experts from academia, NGOs, research institutes, and more.
The session discussion ensuring that every rupee spent reflects a commitment to children’s health, education, nutrition, protection, and overall well-being.
The participants highlighted the urgent need for smarter, more inclusive public investment especially for the most vulnerable children. The panel emphasized innovation in financing, better use of data, and greater accountability in budget planning and execution.
As the dialogue concluded, participants called for turning policy into action and reaffirmed a shared commitment to making the next budget a milestone in inclusive development.
Under the URAAN framework, Punjab aims to build not just a stronger economy, but a stronger future for every child.
