Karak is Khattak country: a district of dry hills, salt ranges and scattered villages south of Kohat, where water is scarce and farming depends on rain. For generations its young men have joined the army, and today many also work as drivers and labourers in Karachi or the Gulf. Beneath the ground there is oil, gas and rock salt, but little of that wealth reaches ordinary households. When a family types NGO in Karak into a phone, it is usually because something has gone badly wrong: a lost job, an illness, a debt, or a family dispute heading to court.
Households in Karak, Takht-e-Nasrati and Banda Daud Shah can all turn to Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO). There is, however, nothing of PHWO physically in Karak: no office, no centre, no local worker. Its only office is in Larkana, Sindh, and people in Karak reach it through the website, Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or with a volunteer’s help, all without cost. Each file is checked first. Support depends on the need being confirmed and possible to meet, so please treat nothing as promised.
Karak in census numbers
The census district table for KP lists 815,878 Karak residents in 2023, on 3,371 square kilometres of mostly dry land. Just over 7 percent lived in urban areas, and households averaged 8.4 members. Almost everyone, about 99.8 percent, speaks Pashto as a mother tongue (PBS Table 11).
The census also recorded more men than women in the district, with a sex ratio of about 107 males for every 100 females. The district’s three tehsils are Karak, Takht-e-Nasrati and Banda Daud Shah.
Rain, wells and water
Much of Karak’s farmland is barani, watered only by rain. In a dry year wheat and gram fail and the wells fall. Women and children in some villages still carry water from far away. Families that own a few goats or cattle have to buy fodder when the grass dies, and that often means borrowing.
When a bad season empties the grain store or leaves you owing money, use Request help. Say what you grew, what was lost and what you now owe. Food for the month and clearing a loan are what families nationwide request most. Treatment costs, fees and rent are other options.
Soldiers, drivers and the families behind them
Many Karak homes rely on a pension from military service or on wages sent by a son driving trucks or working construction far away. A small pension may not cover a large household, especially when there are daughters to educate or marry and elderly parents to treat. When a driver dies in a road accident, or a labourer is injured on a building site, the family may have nothing but debts.
Tell PHWO what income the family has, including any pension, and what is missing. Students who need a laptop or phone for study or freelance work can mention it, with proof of admission. The digital skills and vocational training areas in Programmes can also be asked about.
Applying online to an NGO in Karak
- Open the form or message PHWO from your free PHWO account.
- Explain your circumstances briefly, in Pashto if you like.
- Add a live photo of yourself and any papers you have, such as a pension book, prescriptions or loan notes.
- Stay reachable; a volunteer may call to check.
All PHWO services are free. If someone asks for money to ‘pass’ your file, refuse, because nobody may collect money in PHWO’s name.
Free legal aid for Karak families
The district and sessions courts at Karak hear family, civil and criminal cases, with appeals going to the Peshawar High Court. Disputes over land and water rights are common, as are family matters: maintenance, dower, khula and custody.
Through Free legal aid, lawyers who give their time for free study your papers and set out what can be done. Asking needs no FIR. Children’s custody and very near court dates take priority. Court representation by a volunteer is possible in some cases but is never promised. People who cannot afford fees may also ask Karak’s bar or its legal empowerment body for help.
Government services in Karak
- District Headquarters Hospital Karak; complex cases often go to Kohat or Peshawar.
- Rescue 1122 for emergencies, including crashes on the Indus Highway; 15 for police.
- Karak women may check BISP eligibility by SMS to 8171 (bisp.gov.pk).
- The district zakat committee in Karak town, for government zakat.
- Social welfare and other KP offices via kp.gov.pk.
Families who fled conflict
Karak was one of the districts that received displaced families from North Waziristan during the 2014 military operation, according to UN OCHA (situation report, June 2014). Anyone living in Karak today, whatever their origin, can apply in the same way. Some of these households still pay rent and have no land to farm, which makes a sudden illness or job loss especially hard. PHWO takes no political or sectarian side.
Supporting others from Karak
Retired officers, businessmen and Khattak families abroad can Donate, or choose one verified family through Sponsor a case. Karak donors’ Zakat and Sadaqah arrive untouched with the families who receive them. Advocates and overseas fundraisers are especially welcome as a Volunteer, and receive a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter.
Public services in Karak you can also use
- District and Sessions Courts KarakFamily, civil and criminal cases
- District Bar Association KarakReferral to advocates
- District Legal Empowerment Committee KarakLegal aid for poor litigants
- District Headquarters Hospital KarakGovernment hospital
- Rescue 1122Dial 1122
- PoliceDial 15
- BISP office KarakSMS CNIC to 8171
- District Zakat Committee KarakGovernment zakat
These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.
Frequently asked questions
My father gets a small army pension but we are nine people. Can we still apply?
Yes. Mention the pension and your expenses. The request is assessed on need, and nothing is guaranteed.
Is there a PHWO office in Karak?
No. PHWO's only office is in Larkana, Sindh.
We have a water-rights dispute with another family. Can PHWO advise us?
Yes. Describe the water dispute through Free legal aid; a volunteer lawyer can tell you what the law says.
My brother drives a truck and was badly injured. What can we ask for?
You can ask about medical bills, ration and debts while he recovers. Attach hospital papers.
Can someone from Karak living in Riyadh raise funds?
Yes. Fundraisers living abroad are exactly the kind of help that is most wanted.