Ehsaas Programme Ensuring Societal Welfare: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday while inaugurating the expansion of ‘Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye’ initiative to Gujranwala, Lahore and Multan directed the authorities concerned not to compromise on the quality of food served to the needy people.

The prime minister inaugurated four food trucks that will serve free cooked meal to daily-wage earners across the cities. With addition of four trucks under the expansion plan, the total number of such vehicles will be increased to 16.

The Ehsaas has been running 12 trucks in 5 cities including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar and the program is being expanded to seven cities including Gujranwala, Lahore and Multan.

Each truck feeds 1000-1500 people daily on specified service points, twice a day and seven days a week.

Special Assistant to PM on Social Welfare Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar and Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar briefed the prime minister on the expansion plan of the free food service. SAPM Dr Shahbaz Gill and Senator Faisal Javed were also present there.

During the briefing, the Prime Minister questioned as whether there was any mechanism for quality audit. In response, Sania Nishtar told that they had received some complaints from Peshawar regarding the quality of food which were addressed later.

To this, the Prime Minister repeatedly directed for no compromise on quality of food, both at trucks as well as Panagahs, because the poor who felt contented only for getting free food, would never complain about its quality.

While also reiterating his government’s commitment to serve the poor without hurting his dignity, the prime minister said such initiatives were the reflection of State of Madina which had taken the responsibility of their poor people.

The prime minister was told that by October, the “Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye” operations would be expanded to all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan with the overall fleet of 40 food trucks in 29 cities that would feed 40,000 people every day and 1.46 million people annually.

To-date, 831,625 meals have been served across Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Islamabad.

On March 10, 2021, the initiative was officially launched by the prime minister to serve free meals to deserving populations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Under the Ehsaas umbrella, this programme runs through a public private partnership whereby Pakistan Baitul Mal was responsible for the operations of the food trucks and Saylani Welfare International Trust was responsible for provision of meals.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday directed for launching an awareness campaign about the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to apprise the public and all stakeholders of the benefits of this process and check undue criticism by presenting a factual review.

He was presiding over a review meeting here about the use of EVMs in the elections.

Federal Ministers Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Shibli Faraz, Advisor to PM for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Babar Awan, Special Assistant to PM Dr. Shehbaz Gill and senior officers of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister was apprised of the Judicial Commission’s proposed legal amendments regarding the use of EVMs. The measures were aimed at making the process of elections transparent.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday was given a detailed briefing on the steps taken by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding the evacuation of foreign journalists from Afghanistan.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain informed the prime minister that in view of the situation in Afghanistan, a special cell had been set up at the Ministry to facilitate journalists by ensuring prompt processing of their visa applications.

The meeting under the chairmanship of the prime minister was also attended by Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib, Information Secretary Shaheera Shahid and other senior officials.

The Prime Minister appreciated the initiatives taken by the Information Ministry, particularly its External Publicity Wing in facilitating the foreign journalist community.

He said promoting impartial, independent and responsible journalism in the country was a top priority of his government.