Prime Minister Imran Khan says poverty is a disease for nation

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that poverty is a disease for the nation. Speaking at the launch of Ehsaas District Development Portal ‘Data4Pakistan’ on Tuesday, he said that the government has waged a jihad against poverty, which is the real jihad. “A disease cannot be treated unless it is diagnosed,” he said. The prime minister thanked the World Bank for helping Pakistan. He said that the money should be distributed as per need. “The money should be given to the areas which are in need,” he added. Imran Khan said that the government would first time prepare the budget on merit. “Unluckily ground realities are not kept in mind while spending money on the masses. Data4Pakistan will tell which area needs the money. These statistics will help in decision-making and allocation of funds,” he said, adding that the government is determined to eliminating poverty. Data4Pakistan will provide an open and public access to poverty estimates for every district along with the development and policy indicators. It is the first initiative of its kind in the country that will also provide public access to over 120 development and policy indicators. The portal currently has six rounds of district poverty and development data, covering the period 2004-2018. The "Data4Pakistan" Portal, as a part of Ehsaas strategy,  has been developed in collaboration with the World Bank and will be hosted on the Ehsaas website of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division.