Prime Minister Of Pakistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched “Koi Bhooka Na Soye” programme under the umbrella of the Ehsaas poverty alleviation. One of the cornerstones of the ruling government manifesto is to rid Pakistan of poverty and PM Imran has tried aggressively to push initiatives for the common man. Under the programme, mobile vans would visit dissimilar regions of main cities to feed poor and underprivileged people. Initially, it has been launched in the federal capital and would soon enlarge to other cities of Pakistan. Addressing the launching ceremony in Islamabad, Prime Minister regretted that there were many areas in the country where people go to bed hungry. Most people are on daily wages and when they don’t get their wages, they have to sleep empty stomach.
Imran Khan said that the government of Pakistan is starting the programme in Islamabad at the moment but it would soon reach other cities of the country. One day, these vans would feed people in the entire country. Lauding the facilities given to people in Panagah (shelter homes), the Imran Khan said that various people have come forward and said that they want to be a part of the government’s initiative. People generously donate in the country. The premier also inspected one of the mobile vans and distributed meal boxes among the needy on the occasion. In his address, the premier maintained that the government of Pakistan was providing health insurance to millions of people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), adding that now the people of these regions can avail themselves medical facilities in any hospital public or private. He said that in June, the government of Pakistan would introduce a programme under which money will be transferred to the accounts of 30 million people so that they keep up with the rising inflation and afford basic commodities like ghee and flour. Farmers will also receive direct subsidies to pay for fertilisers. It will be a revolutionary step. Furthermore, in the 2015-16’s official numbers, 24.5 percent people were poor in Pakistan but as per a 2018-19 PIDE study, it is expected that poverty will be reduced to 22 percent. It is said that the Planning Commission was working on a 3-year growth strategy and trying to make it equitable so that the government should be able to create opportunities in backward areas of Pakistan.
In 2013-14, the Planning Commission had adopted the cost of basic needs (CBN) methodology and estimated the poverty line for the period as Rs3,030.32 per adult equivalent per month. The updated poverty line for 2015-16 was Rs3,250.28 per adult equivalent per month. In 2013-14, 29.5 percent of the population was considered poor in the country, however, the number declined to 24.5 percent in 2015-16. The rural poverty reduced from 35.6 percent to 30.7 percent while the urban poverty reduced from 18.2 percent to 12.5 percent. In 2005-06, the national poverty ratio was 50.4 percent. In September last year, a Poverty Estimation Committee was setup to work out the latest poverty numbers in the country on the basis of 2018-19, which are expected to be released by the end of March.