Pakpattan is the city of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar, whose shrine draws huge crowds, especially during the annual Urs when the Bahishti Darwaza is opened. The district around it is farming country along the Sutlej, with Arifwala as its busy second town. Faith and hospitality run deep here, but so does poverty in many villages, and families in trouble often search for an NGO in Pakpattan that will listen without asking for anything in return.
PHWO (Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization) exists because volunteers give their time; it answers families nationwide and never charges them. Neither Pakpattan nor Arifwala has a PHWO office, camp or agent. The only PHWO office is in Larkana, Sindh; people in this district reach it online, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, or by email to info@phwo.org .
A quick look at Pakpattan district
The 2023 Census counted 2,136,170 residents in Pakpattan District, spread across two tehsils: Pakpattan (about 1.14 million) and Arifwala (about 1 million). Around 22% live in towns. What stands out is how fast the towns are growing: the urban population rose from 288,992 in 2017 to 472,575 in 2023, a rate of more than 8% a year. Punjabi is the mother tongue of about 95% of residents.
Cotton, wheat, maize and potatoes are the main crops, and dairy is important. Arifwala has cotton ginning and a large grain market, and during the picking season whole families from nearby villages work in the fields for a daily wage that barely covers food.
The Sutlej breaks its embankments
In the August 2025 flood, Dawn listed 24 villages in Pakpattan district as submerged (Dawn), and Aaj News reported that protective embankments broke and settlements went under water (Aaj News). Areas near Baba Farid Bridge lost standing crops.
If your family suffered, mention it in your request and include photos. Government loss surveys are a separate process run by the district administration and PDMA Punjab; check with the DC office that your household is included.
Help with money in Pakpattan
People around the shrine town and in Arifwala’s mandi use Request help for all sorts of trouble: a family with nothing to cook, hospital costs, a boy’s college dues, rent in a new town, a loan, a student laptop or crops lost at Baba Farid Bridge. Add a live photo of yourself, and explain things in your own words.
Everything you write is first confirmed by a volunteer. Support is organised only where it can genuinely be met. Nobody promises the outcome or the timing, and no fee is ever taken.
Free legal aid in Pakpattan and Arifwala
Trials happen in Pakpattan city or at Arifwala, and appeals from either go to the Lahore High Court. People here most often need help with family cases, land and inheritance disputes, or accusations they believe are false.
Set out your problem on the free legal aid page, with no FIR needed beforehand. Matters of custody, and hearings only days away, are taken up first. Representation depends on a volunteer advocate having room, so it cannot be promised.
Public services worth knowing
Government help in the district includes District Headquarters Hospital Pakpattan and the THQ hospital at Arifwala. Rescue 1122 handles crashes, fires, crowd emergencies at the Urs and boat rescues when the Sutlej floods. For police, call 15; for the women’s helpline, 1043. Kafaalat is drawn at BISP points; the District Zakat Committee Pakpattan gives out state Zakat; and the District Bar Association Pakpattan knows which advocates practise locally.
Newcomers to the growing towns
With the urban population rising so quickly, many families in Pakpattan and Arifwala are recent arrivals from villages. They often rent a room or two, work by the day and have no land to fall back on. When the rent is due and work dries up, they can be in real difficulty. Rent and ration are both needs you can ask about. Include your rent agreement or the landlord’s name and number, if possible, so volunteers can verify the details.
Supporting Pakpattan: donate or volunteer
Many people feel a strong bond with Pakpattan because of Baba Farid. To help its families, send money or goods through Donate, from anywhere in the world. Zakat and Sadaqah given that way reach eligible people without any deduction. The Zakat calculator will give you your figure, and Sponsor a case lets you back one household from the district whose need was checked.
Two sorts of helper are always in short supply: practising lawyers and people who can raise money. Lawyers at the Pakpattan and Arifwala courts would be especially valuable. Enrol on the volunteer page, and your help is acknowledged with a certificate, a letter of appreciation and an experience letter.
Women and widows in the villages
In the villages between Pakpattan and the river, many women pick cotton for a daily wage, tend animals and run the house at the same time. When a husband dies or falls ill, his wife may suddenly have no steady money and several children still in school. Such a woman can apply in her own name for ration, school fees, medical costs or help to restart a small livelihood such as goats or a sewing machine. PHWO’s programmes page describes its women’s empowerment and vocational work. The request is verified and assessed, and support depends on what the assessment finds.
Rishta Desk
The free Rishta Desk welcomes families of every faith in Pakpattan. Profiles are checked with a live selfie and reviewed by PHWO staff. Families make the decisions, and a match is never guaranteed.
Public services in Pakpattan you can also use
- District Headquarters Hospital PakpattanPublic hospital
- Rescue 1122Emergency and flood rescue
- District Administration PakpattanDeputy Commissioner's office
- PDMA PunjabProvincial disaster management
- Zakat and Ushr Department PunjabDistrict Zakat Committee
- Lahore High CourtAppeals from Pakpattan courts
These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a PHWO office in Pakpattan or Arifwala?
No. PHWO's only office is in Larkana, Sindh. Contact it by messaging PHWO from a free PHWO account, at info@phwo.org or through the website.
The 2025 flood took our crops near Baba Farid Bridge. Can we still ask?
Of course. Take pictures of the land, then send them with a live photo of yourself. The request will be verified and assessed; help cannot be promised.
We moved to Arifwala and cannot pay the rent this month. Is rent something PHWO considers?
Yes, rent can be requested. Include the amount and, if possible, the landlord's details.
Someone near the shrine says he collects Zakat for PHWO. Is he genuine?
No. PHWO has no collectors in Pakpattan. Give only through the website, and report anyone asking for money in PHWO's name.
I practise law in Arifwala. Is there a role for me?
Very much so. Sign up through the volunteer page; family and land cases from the district badly need advocates.