Before establishing Akhuwat, Dr. Saqib served in the Civil Services of Pakistan in the District Management Group (DMG). He also served as the General Manager of the Punjab Rural Support Program (PRSP). He had witnessed the devastating impact of poverty which encouraged him to dedicate his life to alleviating the suffering of the poor. One of Akhuwat’s initial loans was granted to a widow from Rasool Park where she was presented with Rs. 10,000 (USD 200 at the time) in the form of an interest-free loan. She bought herself two new sewing machines with this amount, earned a decent living, sent her children to school, and married her daughters in a simple wedding ceremony. She returned after 6 months to return the loan along with a request to give this money to someone else in need.

For the first eighteen months, Akhuwat didn’t have a proper office and was managed from a small cabin within the premises of PRSP. However, Mawakhat, the spirit of solidarity, and the commitment of the Akhuwat team persevered. More than two decades later, Akhuwat has disbursed more than PKR 230+ billion and opened offices in 350+ cities in Pakistan. Akhuwat has also spread its roots to other areas of life, such as education, healthcare, community development, and post-disaster rehabilitation.