ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated the founder of Akhuwat Dr Amjad Saqib for receiving this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s highest honour.
In a tweet on social media platform Twitter, the prime minister said, “Have been told this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s highest honour, has been given to a Pakistani, Dr Amjad Saqib, Founder Akhuwat.”
“Congratulations to him. We are proud of his achievement as we move forward in creating a welfare state based on Riasat e Madina Model,” he added.
Have been told this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s highest honour, has been given to a Pakistani, Dr. Amjad Saqib, Founder Akhuwat. Congratulations to him. We are proud of his achievement as we move forward in creating a welfare state based on Riasat e Madina Model.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) August 31, 2021
The Pakistani microfinance pioneer, who developed an interest- and collateral-free microfinance programme, was among the winners of Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize – the Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Muhammad Amjad Saqib was one of five recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for her “life-long devotion to the scientific profession” and “untiring contributions to vaccine development”.
Pakistani development worker Saqib developed the “first-of-its-kind” interest- and collateral-free microfinance programme, Akhuwat, which has helped millions of poor families.
Nearly two decades after its launch, Akhuwat has grown into the nation’s largest microfinance institution, distributing the equivalent of $900 million and boasting an almost 100% loan repayment rate, the award foundation said.
Saqib, who uses places of worship to hand out money, was cited for “his inspiring belief that human goodness and solidarity will find ways to eradicate poverty.”
The Ramon Magsaysay Award was established in 1957 to honour people and groups tackling development problems. The award was named after a Filipino president killed in a plane crash.
