Prime Minister Imran Khan says next month is very difficult

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that the next month is very difficult. Talking to the media after presiding over a meeting about commencement of operations through the Ehsaas Rashan Portal on Monday, he said that he would have not allowed the lockdown if the provinces had sought his permission. “About 34 percent people were affected by starvation and poverty due to lockdown clamped by the Modi government,” he added. The prime minister said that he had started the PM Relief Fund keeping in view the situation in Pakistan. “The Ehsaas Cash Programme gave a big relief to the people. It is a transparent programme,” he said. He also announced to increase the number of shelter homes in the country. Imran Khan said that the annual deficit of Shaukat Khanum is Rs12 billion. “The common people donate for Shaukat Khanum Hospital,” he added. Inspiring other donors to come forward and support government initiatives, the PM stated, “Transparency is most critical in the use of donor funds; we are ensuing that there is visibility of every penny donated through the PM’s COVID Fund Portal.” He lauded the role of Ehsaas and further added ‘the new Langar and Panahgah App which enable the much needed critical coordination of welfare activities in the country’. Giving briefing to the PM, Special Assistant to the PM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Sania Nishtar remarked, “The Ehsaas Rashan program is principally a means to link private sector organizations willing to donate food rations, to government verified beneficiaries. The role of government is primarily that of on-boarding credible donor organizations, verifying beneficiaries, and providing donor organizations list of verified beneficiaries to conduct targeted disbursement of ration.”