Aseefa Bhutto calls for resilient housing at Asia-Pacific forum
Aseefa at the opening ceremony of the Asia Pacific Shelter & Settlements Forum 2026. PHOTO: X @@MediaCellPPP
First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari on Thursday called for affordable, climate-resilient and inclusive housing solutions across the region. Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Shelter and Settlements Forum 2026 in Karachi, she said it was encouraging to see diverse voices brought together to address the critical issue of shelter and stability.
She noted that millions of families across the Asia-Pacific region are affected by climate change and social challenges, adding that inadequate housing was not merely a material concern but also a loss of dignity and opportunity.
“Housing is not just a roof,” she said. “It is the foundation of health, education and stability — a place where families recover, children dream and communities move forward”. She reiterated that housing is a fundamental right, referencing the Pakistan Peoples Party’s longstanding slogan of 'roti, kapra aur makan' (bread, clothing and shelter).
She stressed that safe housing has a particularly profound impact on women and children, saying that secure homes and financial inclusion for women generate benefits that extend beyond households into wider society.
Read: Aseefa Bhutto inspects maternal health facilities
The first lady observed that the Asia-Pacific region remains among the most climate-vulnerable in the world, with floods, storms, earthquakes and extreme heat displacing communities and straining settlements. Environmental sustainability, she said, must be integrated into every aspect of housing — from design to community governance.
This forum brings together diverse perspectives at a moment where the question of shelter and resilience has never been more urgent. Across our region, milllions of families continue to face growing challenges driven by climate change, rapid urbanisation, natural disasters, and… pic.twitter.com/ab0l9rNF1d
Citing Sindh as a relevant example, she referred to the Sindh Peoples Housing for Flood Affectees programme launched after the devastating 2022 floods. She described it as one of the world’s largest post-disaster housing initiatives, aimed at constructing over 2.1 million climate-resilient homes and directly benefiting more than 15 million people.
She said the programme was restoring not only infrastructure but also lives and futures, with homes and land titles being issued in the names of women to strengthen their dignity, security and financial inclusion.
Read more: Aseefa urges action for health, dignity, empowerment
Emphasising the importance of social cohesion in building sustainable settlements, she said strong communities are built on trust, participation and a sense of ownership. Effective recovery and long-term development, she added, depend on inclusive decision-making and investment in the future.
The forum, Aseefa said, offered an opportunity to strengthen collaboration among governments, development partners, civil society, the private sector and communities. She urged stakeholders to move beyond dialogue and adopt practical, locally driven and environmentally resilient solutions that include vulnerable groups.
“The success of such forums is measured not in statements, but in improved lives on the ground,” she added, expressing hope that the gathering would prove productive and forward-looking. She concluded by calling for a future in which every child lives in safety, every woman with dignity and security, and every community not only withstands crises but thrives beyond them.