Maybe you typed NGO in Peshawar into your phone because the month is running out before the salary does, or because a family case is stuck in court, this page is for you. Peace and Humanity Welfare Organization (PHWO) belongs to no party and no sect, and its work is done by volunteers. The organisation is based in Larkana, Sindh, and nowhere in Peshawar will you find a PHWO office, centre or camp. People from Hayatabad, Gulbahar, the old walled city, Badaber and every other part of the district reach PHWO online, through Message PHWO in a free PHWO account, and through volunteers.
Every PHWO service is free. Requests are verified and assessed, and help is arranged where a verified need can be met. No outcome is guaranteed. Anyone who demands a fee from you on PHWO’s behalf is not acting for PHWO.
Peshawar in numbers: who lives in the district
Peshawar District had 4,758,762 people in the 2023 Census, which makes it the most populous district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. About 40 percent of them live in urban areas, and the average household has close to seven members, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics district table. Pashto is the mother tongue of about 93 percent of residents, with Hindko, the older language of the walled city, spoken by close to 4 percent.
Large households on one income are common here. When prices rise, the same wage has to feed parents, children and often a married son’s family. That is why ration and small household debts are among the most frequent reasons people in cities like Peshawar look for a welfare organisation.
What this NGO in Peshawar searches can do for you from Larkana
PHWO works across Pakistan without branches. For a family in Peshawar this means you apply from your phone, send your documents online, and a volunteer or the Larkana team checks the case. The main kinds of help people ask for are:
- A laptop or mobile for classes or earning. Plenty of students at colleges and universities in Peshawar need a device to attend online classes, submit assignments or start freelance work.
- Ration for a household that has lost its earner or is waiting for wages.
- Debt, such as a shopkeeper’s credit, school fee arrears or rent that has piled up.
- Medical costs, fees and losses after a disaster.
You can start with the Request help form. You will be asked for a live photo of yourself and to explain the need in your own words, in Pashto, Urdu or English.
Free legal aid in Peshawar for family cases
The legal questions that reach PHWO are mostly about the family: a woman seeking khula, a mother chasing unpaid maintenance, a father or mother fighting over custody. Peshawar’s family judges sit within the district judiciary, and appeals go up to the Peshawar High Court, whose principal seat is in the city.
Through Free legal aid, volunteer advocates can read your papers and advise you. An FIR is not required before you write to us. Custody disputes and cases with a hearing date coming up soon are read first. Every request gets looked at, even though taking a case to court is never something PHWO can promise.
The Peshawar High Court website publishes cause lists, which help you track a hearing date.
Where else to go in Peshawar: public services worth knowing
PHWO is one door among several. These public services exist in Peshawar and are free or low cost:
- Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital and Hayatabad Medical Complex are the three big government teaching hospitals. The Khyber Teaching Hospital site lists its departments.
- Rescue 1122 for accidents, fires and medical emergencies, and 15 for the police.
- Benazir Income Support Programme for eligible women: you can check eligibility by sending your CNIC number to 8171 or through the BISP website.
- Zakat from the state is distributed by Peshawar’s District Zakat Committee (KP Zakat and Ushr Department).
- Dial 1700 in floods and storms; the line belongs to the Provincial Disaster Management Authority.
Afghan families, rains and the cost of city life
Peshawar has hosted Afghan refugees for more than four decades, and the UNHCR Pakistan data portal still lists Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the province with the most registered refugees. Many mixed families live in the city’s outer union councils, often in rented rooms. Rent and utility bills are a heavy share of their spending.
Monsoon and pre-monsoon storms also hit the district. Poor drainage in older neighbourhoods floods streets and homes, and damaged roofs are a recurring loss. If a storm or flood has damaged your home, tell us in the request form and include photos of the damage.
Giving from Peshawar, or from abroad
Many Peshawar families have a son or brother working in the Gulf, the UK or elsewhere. If you or your relatives want to give, you can Donate money or goods whether you live in Pakistan or not. Zakat and Sadaqah given through PHWO are passed on whole to people in need. Our Zakat calculator totals your gold, cash and stock, so you know the amount due before you pay.
If you would rather support one family you can read about, Sponsor a case lets you choose a verified request.
Volunteer in Peshawar with your skills
Advocates practising in the Peshawar district courts are the volunteers PHWO needs most, because family cases here keep coming. Fundraisers are needed too, both in the city and among Pashtun communities overseas. Students can help by checking documents or translating a Pashto request into Urdu.
Registration takes a few minutes on the Volunteer page. In return you get a certificate, an appreciation letter and an experience letter; fresh graduates in Peshawar often attach these to job applications.
Public services in Peshawar you can also use
- Peshawar High Court (principal seat)Appeals and writs; cause lists online
- District and Sessions Courts Peshawar (family courts)Khula, maintenance and custody cases are filed here
- District Bar Association PeshawarCan refer you to advocates
- Khyber Teaching HospitalGovernment teaching hospital
- Lady Reading HospitalGovernment teaching hospital, old city
- Hayatabad Medical ComplexGovernment teaching hospital, Hayatabad
- Rescue 1122 Khyber PakhtunkhwaDial 1122 for emergencies
- Police emergencyDial 15
- BISPEligibility check by SMS to 8171
- PDMA Khyber PakhtunkhwaDisaster helpline 1700
- District Zakat Committee Peshawar (KP Zakat and Ushr Department)Government zakat support for the deserving
These are public or independent services, listed to help you. They are not part of PHWO.
Frequently asked questions
Does PHWO have an office in Peshawar?
It does not. Larkana has the sole PHWO office. Peshawar residents apply online, message PHWO from your free PHWO account, or get a volunteer to fill the form with them.
Can I ask for a laptop for my studies at a Peshawar university?
Yes, you can request one through the Request help form. Your need is verified and assessed. Help is arranged where a verified need can be met, but nothing is guaranteed.
My khula case is in the Peshawar family court. Can PHWO help?
Yes, send it through the legal aid form. A volunteer advocate studies the file and gives advice. You do not need an FIR, and cases with close hearing dates are read first.
I speak only Pashto. Can I still apply?
Yes. Explain your situation in Pashto. Volunteers can help with translation.
Is there any fee for applying from Peshawar?
No. Every PHWO service is free. Someone asking for a payment to process your request is not from PHWO; please tell us at info@phwo.org .