Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif launched a significant Ramadan Relief Package worth Rs 20 billion on Saturday, aiming to provide Rs 5,000 cash transfers to 4 million deserving families across Pakistan. The announcement was made at a ceremony in Islamabad, where the Prime Minister outlined the nationwide scope of the initiative, which will cover all four provinces, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
“This year, Rs 20 billion has been allocated for this relief package, compared to last year’s Rs 7 billion,” the Prime Minister said. He emphasized that the new package would eliminate the need for people to wait in long queues at Utility Stores, offering a streamlined, digital process for receiving aid.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the round-the-clock monitoring and supervision that would ensure the package reaches those in need efficiently. He praised the collaborative efforts of various institutions, including the State Bank of Pakistan, NADRA, BISP, and tech companies, who worked tirelessly to create the digital infrastructure for the package.
Minister for Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, announced that the cash transfers under the relief package would be completed within 10 days. Additionally, sugar will be sold at Rs 135 per kilogram through stalls set up at the tehsil level during Ramadan, and Utility Stores will offer a 15% discount on essential commodities.
In response to rumors, Minister Tanveer also clarified that the government has no plans to shut down the Utility Stores Corporation (USC). He explained that USC would undergo restructuring, with privatization being the ultimate goal.
This relief initiative aims to provide much-needed financial support to millions of families during Ramadan, offering a more efficient and accessible system than previous methods.
