PTCL Group’s flagship social impact initiative, ‘Dil Se’, has received the prestigious Gold Dragon Award at the Dragons of Asia 2025 in the Digital Campaigns category. The recognition celebrates the initiative’s powerful combination of purpose, empathy, and technology to address one of Pakistan’s most urgent social challenges: access to clean water. For over two decades, the Dragons of Asia platform has recognized marketing and CSR excellence across the Asia Pacific region, celebrating initiatives that drive meaningful change. PTCL Group’s ‘Dil Se’ program stands out as a testament to how corporate commitment and compassion can come together to uplift underserved communities across Pakistan.
Rooted in PTCL Group’s belief that its role extends beyond providing digital connectivity, ‘Dil Se’ has evolved as a national platform for sustainable community development. The initiative focuses on bridging service gaps in marginalized areas and supporting upward social mobility. One of its key campaigns has addressed the scarcity of clean drinking water in Thar, a region where thousands of families struggle daily due to limited access to safe water sources. In many areas, women and children travel miles each day to fetch water, affecting their health, education, and livelihoods. Recognizing this urgent need, PTCL Group launched an effort to provide reliable water access and improve living standards for communities long deprived of this basic necessity.
In the campaign’s first phase, PTCL Group, in collaboration with Shifa Foundation, installed water pumps across several villages in Thar. This initiative transformed the lives of nearly 15,000 people by granting them consistent access to clean and safe drinking water for the first time. The project also highlighted the broader implications of water security, emphasizing its direct connection to public health, education, and gender equality. As the program gained momentum, PTCL Group reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the initiative to benefit more communities facing water scarcity. Syed Atif Raza, Group Chief Commercial Officer at PTCL and Ufone 4G, said the award represents not just recognition for PTCL Group but for Pakistan as a whole. He added that “Dil Se” embodies the company’s heartfelt dedication to social responsibility and that future expansions of the project will cover additional areas in Thar and Southern Punjab.
To further this goal, PTCL Group has partnered with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) for the project’s second phase, which aims to benefit around 200,000 people across water-stressed regions. This will make it one of the largest corporate-led clean water initiatives in Pakistan. Through this partnership, PTCL Group intends to provide sustainable water solutions that align with long-term community empowerment and environmental stewardship. The success of ‘Dil Se’ demonstrates how technology-driven companies can combine digital innovation with social purpose to build a more equitable and sustainable future for Pakistan’s underserved communities.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
