News

14^th February 2023: “At a time when households are struggling due to record inflation, destroying Ehsaas Rehribaans’ source of income is cruel and unwarranted by the present government. The city administration must immediately cease this senseless destruction of vending carts in the name of anti-encroachment. Both the city administration as well as the ministry must compensate these vendors for the damage and reinstate their licenses. The poor must not become collateral damage amidst political rivalries”, highlights Dr. Sania in an op-ed published in The News International.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1040410-ehsaas-rehribaan-stalled

12^th February 2023: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to the Nobel Forum Stockholm to participate in the deliberations on operationalizing the new EU Global Health Strategy. The forum was hosted by Ole Petter Ottersen, President of Swedish Medical University Karolinska Institutet.  Dr. Sania spoke at the closing plenary.  

6^th February 2023: Expressing deep concern that there will be “no further entries” in the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship program, a resolution was moved in Senate by Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar. The resolution got rejected in the House merely due to political rivalries. Dr. Sania made a speech in favour of continuation of Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship in the Senate. Watch here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkV3nQ_Mbfs

4^th February 2023: The street vendor carts installed under the Ehsaas programme were destroyed by the present government and authorities in I-10 Markaz of Islamabad at 3 am. Early morning, Senator Dr. Sania visited the site and met with victimized Ehsaas Rehribaans. Condemning this act, Dr. Sania said, “What the city administration did cannot be justified on any grounds. Instead of renewing the vendors’ one-year licenses, they reneged on their commitment to them.”

2^nd February 2023: The UHC Movement Political Advisory Panel met to discuss the UN High-level meeting on universal health coverage (UHC) and how to strengthen a coherent health agenda. Being a member of the advisory panel, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar spoke at the meeting.

URL: https://www.uhc2030.org/about-us/governance/uhc-movement-political-advisory-panel/

31^st January, 2023: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar made a speech in the Senate about the lack of respect for the policy process, the disregard for evidence in policy making and the lack of meaningful accountability in decision making as being the core determinants of most of our failures. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk5LUsJcvAo

URL:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk5LUsJcvAo

26^th January 2023: Dr. Sania spoke on the state of Pakistan’s economy at the Senate session. She presented unbiased analysis of our economy and suggested realistic solutions to tackle the issue. Watch here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFIUyUjxdo4

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFIUyUjxdo4

23^rd January 2023: “Over the last 5 months, we enacted the Punjab Ehsaas Act,  guaranteeing govt assistance to all under the poverty line & rolled out Ehsaas Rashan Riayat across Punjab. Given crippling inflation, it is imperative the caretaker government continues these initiatives”, said Former Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar while taking to twitter after the dissolution of Punjab Assembly.URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1617565128534228994

21^st January 2023: Senator Dr Sania Nishtar was tasked by former PM Imran Khan to oversee the collection and distribution of funds for victims of floods in Pakistan. She had revealed that Khan’s live telethons received pledges amounting to Rs. 15 billion, of which Rs. 4.6 billion have been received so far. But rival politicians accused Sania Nishtar of exaggerating the amount collected till then. Later, Geo Fact-Check confirmed that Dr. Sania’s statement was accurate. Documents shared by Dr. Sania with Geo Fact Check showed that PTI received Rs. 4.8 billion out of the Rs. 15 billion pledges made, in three live telethons held by Imran Khan last year.

URL: https://www.geo.tv/latest/466422-fact-check-documents-show-imran-khan-did-collect-rs48bn-for-flood-victims

17^th January 2023: A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions was held. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar joined the meeting. She lauded that the committee is spearheading a transparency initiative, which amongst other things entails tracking all development schemes with pre, during & post progress images archived. 

URL: https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1615310286193569792

17^th January 2023: Former Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas programme, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar tweeted a letter dated 5^th January 2023 that she wrote to Managing Director, Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to participate in Punjab Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. In a tweet, she urged that with unprecedented inflation, it’s become critical for USC to join Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Program and offer a targeted subsidy on commodities through their ~1800 stores in Punjab.

URL: https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1615354090413760517

17^th January 2023: Many Kiryana merchants participating in the Punjab Ehsaas Rashan programme had complained about geolocation issues on the Ehsaas Kiryana app. “We are addressing it on an urgent basis”, said Dr. Sania in an instructional video. Watch here. https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1615355678331400192

URL: https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1615355678331400192

10^th January 2023: Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas programme, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar called on Chief Minister Punjab and briefed him on the progress of Punjab Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme. Other meetings included meeting of Punjab Ehsaas Rashan Riayat steering committee, a visit to the call center and several other programme reviews. 

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1612862682826248225

1^st January 2023: In a televised programme, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar together with Chairman PTi, Imran Khan gave a detailed update on Imran Khan’s telethon flood funds’ disbursement. Slide deck can be accessed here. https://www.insaf.pk/notification/telethon-flood-donations-utilization-status

Video can be watched here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZg4aE-KLX0

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1609599730287316993

24^th December 2022: With Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar in chair, several meetings were held regarding Ehsaas Rashan Riayat (targeted commodity subsidies) and Ehsaas Tahafuz (health financing) Punjab Program and Chairman Imran Khan’s Flood Relief Telethon Funding.

URL: https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1606705993496272897

24^th December 2022: At the LUMS panel on “Fostering Inclusive Development”, Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas programme, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar stressed that the pathway to addressing inequality is not just through inclusive-growth centered approaches, but that a range of policy interventions other than inclusive growth can also narrow inequalities.

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1606708937184665601

17^th December 2022: Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar met young girls and women at one of the 300 plus schools for disabled children run by the government of Punjab. She was touched by their spirit and resilience. She assured that she would be recommending enhancement of budgets to support infrastructure to better serve students with disabilities.

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1603952131802898432

4^th December 2022: In a tweet, Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar announced that the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) stores will serve Punjab Ehsaas Rashan Riayat beneficiaries. 8 million deserving families of Punjab will benefit from this programme. “I hope Utility Stores Corporation will soon join Ehsaas Rashan Riayat for public interest”, urged Dr. Sania.

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1599309777867198465

2^nd December 2022: In interest of transparency, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar released an update on disbursements of flood relief housing compensation among flood affectees. She shared that Rs. 1.2 billion has been contributed by Chairman Imran Khan’s telethon flood relief funds received in the CM KPK Flood relief fund. Further details at https://rc.kpitb.gov.pk/landing-dashboard.

URL: https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1598629181977513985

30^th November 2022: The annual convocation for the class of 2018-19 was hosted by Khyber Medical College in Peshawar. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar was the guest of honour. “I am deeply humbled to have been invited to my alma mater Khyber Medical College. Congratulations to all graduating students and award winners!”, said Dr. Sania.

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1603951576745480192

21^st November 2022: After the digital survey was completed last week, the financial assistance was released for 55,452 flood-affected houses in Punjab and the delivery of relief funds of Rs. 9.6 billion rupees began provincewide, in which 2 billion was provided by the flood telethon and 7.6 billion by the Punjab government. In a ceremony, CM Punjab and Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar met with the eligible families and inaugurated the payments.

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1594751416349884417

November 15, 2022: Dr Sania Nishtar joined a high level panel at the “Future of Healthcare Week Asia” in Singapore. Organized by The Economist Intelligence Unit, this session titled “Removing silos—collaborating for success in health” featured a discussion around collaboration within the context of the Pandemic.

12^th November 2022: A steering Committee meeting of Punjab Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme was held in Lahore. Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. Preparations for the launch of the Punjab Ehsaas are underway on fast-track basis for the past two weeks and are currently in the final stages. Alongside the above, daily online review meetings and a workshop was also held at Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi to prepare for the launch of Punjab Ehsaas Tahafuz.

URL:https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1591448525195427845

19^th October 2022: The Punjab Assembly has passed the “Punjab Ehsaas Programme Bill 2022”. The Bill was moved by Chairperson Punjab Ehsaas, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar. With this bill, Pakistan’s largest province (Population over 110 million) commits itself to universal social protection, a seminal undertaking to address rising inequality, post COVID, inflationary and climate related stresses.

URL: https://twitter.com/SaniaNishtar/status/1582742371845840897

September 21, 2022: Sania Nishtar virtually joined the meeting of the SUN Lead Group as a member of the lead group. This meeting was held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York at the UNICEF headquarter.

September 9, 2022: Dr Sania Nishtar keynoted the 16^th Singapore Public Health & Occupational Medicine Conference virtually. This year’s conference, “Reinventing Health for All”, looked at the progress in the field of healthcare, as well as recalibrating to reflect what other health issues deserve more attention and the challenges that lie ahead in addressing them, particularly in view of the COVID situation.

July 7, 2022: As a member of the Commonwealth human rights working group, Dr Sania attended its second meeting.

June 27-28:  The Government of Sweden organized a meeting titled “From one health crisis to the next – or not? Taking stock and moving forward”. Dr. Sania was amongst a selected group of experts invited to the meeting.

June 24, 2022: The Aspen Institute organized a session on Decolonizing Global Health during its annual Aspen Ideas Festival. Dr Sania spoke at the session. Full session can be downloaded here:

June 23, 2022: A key public event of the world bank centered on the role of human capital building in relation to recovery from COVID 19 in today’s world. Speakers included David Malpass, President of the World Bank, Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Tanzania, Mary Pangetsu, Malala Yusufzai, Amina Mohammad, Dr Morena Makhona, Gostavo Beliz, and Sania Nishtar. Speakers reiterated that protecting and investing in people is central to sustainable resilience.
Watch here:

June 20, 2022: Dr Sania’s Speech in the Senate about the Budget 2022/23 can be accessed here

June 8, 2022: Dr. Sania Nishtar has been invited to join the Chatham House Commission for Universal Health. The aim of the Commission for Universal Health is to encourage and inspire political leaders to launch universal health reforms emerging from the COVID-19 crisis. The Commission is charged with identifying countries with significant potential in the wake of the pandemic to adopt universal health reforms in a way that addresses universal health coverage (UHC) and health security for all and supports healthy lifestyles and population wellness. The Commission is currently made up of 37 commissioners, two co-chairs and a secretariat, and is co-chaired by President Kikwete and Helen Clark

May 23, 2022: Session on pandemic preparedness on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly Dr Sania attended a session on pandemic preparedness hosted by McKinsey.
The panel discussion provided an opportunity for senior experts to reflect on their in-depth experiences leading responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Sania shared her experience about Ehsaas Emergency Cash.

May 12, 2022: For many women in South Asia, accessing economic opportunities remains a challenge despite decades of economic development in the region. Deeply rooted social norms account for a large share of these gaps. Hans Timmer hosted a panel discussion to dig deep on these issues. A short presentation on the main findings of the South Asia Economic Focus 2022: Reshaping Social Norms about Gender: A New Way Forward, was also presented. View here

April 11, 2022: Following the Prime Minister losing the vote of confidence in Parliament, the Cabinet has been dissolved. Dr Sania Nishtar was given a farewell by the staff of the Poverty Alleviation Ministry. Her unprecedented contributions were richly lauded by all.

April 19, 2022: The Center for Global Development hosted a conversation on how the IMF and World Bank can build on their track record in tobacco, alcoholic and sugary beverages taxes to help low in middle income countries bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel included Mario Mansour, IMF; Mamta Murthi, World Bank; Karambu Muthaura, Government of Kenya; and Sania Nishtar, Government of Pakistan. Amanda Glassman, Executive Vice President, Center for Global Development was the moderator.

April 1, 2022 – Islamabad: The third meeting of Steering Committee for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat took place at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the meeting. Members of the steering committee approved the adoption of new supply driven model for implementation of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme to ensure that the programme benefits 20 million deserving families. “In order to reach even more beneficiaries and maximize impact of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat for up to 20 million families, Ehsaas is now introducing a new “supply driven” model to enroll all families currently surveyed in the Ehsaas National Socioeconomic Registry database and under Proxy Means Test 44 for the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat, without them having to register for the programme. All members of eligible families will be sent an SMS. Any member from the family with a CNIC and SIM registered in the name of a family member can then avail the subsidy.

April 1, 2022 – Islamabad: In a meeting held at Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM officially opened the portal of Ehsaas Tahafuz (https://ehsaastahafuz.pass.gov.pk/) for empanelment of public hospitals under the precision safety net programme. “Ehsaas Tahafuz is an innovative health financing system which is fund based. This complements the insurance-based Sehat Sahulat programme. It ensures the universal health coverage and protects people from Catastrophic Health Expenditures”, expressed Dr. Sania. The programme provides health facility to those patients who fall under certain poverty level and are unable to receive treatment from Sehat Sahulat programme for any circumstances. Tahafuz currently covers around 900 treatments packages across 21 departments. For now, Tahafuz has partnered with 14 public sector hospitals across all seven federating units and covers “out of pocket expenditures” associated with pre-approved treatment packages.

March 31, 2022 – Islamabad: “Ehsaas Raabta” app has been launched with beneficiary centered information about the programme. The mobile app is available on the Google Playstore at this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pk.gov.ehsaas.sub_kay_liye. “Ehsaas Raabta” app guides a common man about various benefits and services being offered through different programmes of Ehsaas. Instructional information in Urdu allows users to understand information of Ehsaas programmes and initiatives. Through the app, anyone intending to know about his entitlements for various benefits under Ehsaas will go to the Ehsaas 8171 web portal section. Once the QR code mentioned on the backside of Ehsaas Card is scanned, the app will inform the user about the whole range of entitlements for his/her family under Ehsaas. Instructional video can be watched here.

March 31, 2022 – Islamabad: Work on National Data Exchange Portal (NDEP) has formally concluded. NDEP for the Ehsaas’ National Socioeconomic Registry is one of the six main pillars of One Window Ehsaas. With NDEP, the implementing agencies of Ehsaas will be empowered to ascertain what benefits an individual or a family is getting by just keying in the CNIC number of an individual. More importantly, the benefits which each family and individual is getting from each implementing agency will also be visible to all agencies under Ehsaas programme. “In the past, there was no way of one government agency knowing what support an individual or a family was getting from another government agency. Some families with connections and influence were getting multiple benefits and other more deserving ones were getting none”, said Dr. Sania.

March 31, 2022 – Islamabad: Federal Cabinet has approved the Ehsaas Catastrophic Health Expenditure Policy and Ehsaas Tahafuz through circulation. Through this policy, Ehsaas Tahafuz, has been approved, which is a fund-based health financing system. Ehsaas Tahafuz will complement the insurance-based Sehat Sahulat programme to ensure the universal health coverage and protect people from Catastrophic Health Expenditure. Extensive two-year-long work has been done on Ehsaas Tahafuz which is country’s first shock-oriented precision safety net. Ehsaas Tahafuz is primarily premised on coverage principles to complement government’s existing Sehat Sahulat programme and plug in any gaps. “Ehsaas Tahafuz will run as per the parameters outlined in this policy to complement Sehat Sahulat to ensure efficient use of public resources and to build synergies between complementary programmes”, said Dr. Sania Nishtar while chairing the review meeting of Ehsaas Tahafuz.

March 29, 2022 – Islamabad: Ehsaas Kafaalat payments for the period Jan to Jun 2022 are underway nationwide. Prime Minister has raised the six-monthly stipend amount of Ehsaas Kafaalat from Rs.12,000 to Rs.14,000. In a video message, Dr. Sania Nishtar has caveated of strict actions being taken against agents involved in deductions from disbursements of Ehsaas beneficiaries. Warning agents to refrain from deductions, Dr. Sania reaffirmed that all those involved in deductions will be dealt with strictly. Highlighting important pointers regarding defrauding activities, Dr. Sania further emphasized on three things: Firstly, all Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries should get full payment of Rs. 14,000. Beneficiaries whose children are enrolled in Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif; their stipend amount is more than Rs. 14,000. Secondly, she asked beneficiaries not to submit CNICs to retailers prior to payment. Thirdly, she urged beneficiaries, “Beware of agents who may try to deny payments at the time of biometric verification asking recipients to come later some other day.” Cautioning agents, Dr. Sania also referred to Quranic verses about the importance of honesty. Full video can be watched here.

March 28, 2022 – Islamabad: The tenth steering committee meeting of Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship programme took place at the Higher Education Commission. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM and Chairman HEC, Dr. Tariq Banuri co-chaired the meeting. The steering committee discussed policy questions, financial impacts, sustainability features and refinements needed in light of the assessment study conducted under the Ehsaas umbrella. Detailed deliberations were held on findings of the study. The assessment covered 35 public sector universities across all four provinces and ICT. Under the study, the eligibility criteria for selection of students by the respective Institutional Scholarship Award Committees of the universities was gauged. The study revealed that the programme provided level playing field for students from low-income households nationwide. Students with a monthly family income below the threshold of Rs. 45,000 were eligible to apply, and scholarships were given out based on need-cum-merit basis. Results of the study also highlighted the need for categorization of universities based on their performance under the programme.

March 23, 2022 – Islamabad: After a thorough investigation conducted jointly by Ehsaas and Law and Enforcement Agencies, a gang of fraudsters involved in fraudulent activities, has been arrested from Multan. They were defrauding Ehsaas beneficiaries across South Punjab in their payments. Cash, ATM cards and CNICs of various Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries have also been recovered from their possession. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. Taking to twitter, Dr. Sania vowed stern action against fraudsters arrested.

March 21, 2022 – Multan: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM together with Additional Chief Secretary, South Punjab Captain (Retd) Saqib Zafar co-chaired a high-level meeting in Multan with district administrations, Law and Enforcement Agencies, partnering bank and regional officers of Ehsaas from South Punjab. The meeting took place at the Secretariat of Additional Chief Secretary, South Punjab. The meeting aimed to discuss coordinated steps to improve the quality of Ehsaas Kafaalat payments in field. It was also agreed that 20 more payment campsites will be organized to facilitate Ehsaas payments in all 11 districts of South Punjab. Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Regional Police Officers, District Police Offers and senior officers from FIA, ISI, IB and Anti-corruption Establishment from Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur Divisions of South Punjab assured full support to Ehsaas to improve the operations of Ehsaas disbursements.

March 20, 2022 – Islamabad: The 3^rd and final day of “5^th PGF International Ladies Amateur Golf Championship was played under the impressive air show for the 23^rd March parade – and what a show ! the day was a perfect Mid Spring Day well played and well enjoyed by all participants. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM very graciously adorned the event as its Chief Guest. Prize distribution ceremony was held at the Golf Course Terrace with a panoramic view of the golf course. Dr. Sania while speaking on the occasion to the gathering said that it was a moment of joy to see so many young girls taking up competitive sports and to see so many ladies playing championship. She extended her full support in promotion of ladies in sports. Dr. Sania also spoke about the Ehsaas programme and how it is positively impacting ladies’ lives in Pakistan. Later, she mingled with the invitees of the prize distribution ceremony.

March 18, 2022 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM convened a meeting today to take stock of the refinements being made to the “Ehsaas Raabta App” that is currently in its final stages. Principally aimed to guide a common man about different programmes of Ehsaas, the android-based Ehsaas Raabta App will be available shortly on Google Playstore. “Ehsaas Raabta will be all-in-one platform of Ehsaas, digitally linking public with the right set of information needed to enroll and benefit from its diverse programmes. A ChatBot is also being integrated into this app to help users by providing answers to their queries about Ehsaas”, said Dr. Sania. The meeting also reviewed the quality and improvement aspects of the app. Secretary Ismat Tahira, Additional Secretary Syed Muazzam Ali, Director General Naveed Akbar, Director General Noor Rehman, Director General Meer Anwar and other senior officials of Ehsaas were also present in the meeting.

March 14, 2022 – Islamabad: Prime Minister has raised the six-monthly stipend amount of Kafaalat from Rs.12,000 to Rs.14,000. Currently, a Kafaalat tranche of Rs. 71 billion is being disbursed in all Tehsils of the country. To review payments under Kafaalat, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM convened several meetings with the leadership of Habib Bank Limited, Chief Secretaries of provinces and IGs of Police. Secretary Ismat Tahira and all Director Generals of Ehsaas were also present in the meeting together with Focal Persons of provinces. The pace of payments and issues emerging from the field were discussed in detail. The meeting also discussed the zero-tolerance policy for those involved in illegal deductions. A Committee was also constituted with representation from Director Generals of Ehsaas, Officers of partnering Banks and focal persons of provinces to review Ehsaas Cash disbursements on daily basis.

March 10, 2022- Islamabad: A high-level delegation of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) called on Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM at Ehsaas offices in Islamabad. The meeting explored avenues of collaboration between Ehsaas and CPA. The delegation was led by Ian Liddle, Acting Chair, MP, Member of UK Parliament; Stephen Twigg, Secretary General; and Emily Davis, Head of Parliamentary Outreach Programme. The delegation is on an official visit to Pakistan between March 7 to 12, 2022. Dr. Sania is also the member of CPA’s Human Rights Asia Working Group.

March 7, 2022 – Islamabad: On three years of completion of Ehsaas, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the event at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Addressing the ceremony, PM felicitated Ehsaas team on successful and fastest deployment of all social protection and poverty reduction programmes of Ehsaas in three years. PM also announced the nationwide deployment of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat that is globally first and fastest end-to-end digital targeted subsidies programme of national scale. “Every month, the Rashan programme of Ehsaas will disburse 30% commodity subsidies to 20 million deserving families on the purchase of flour, pulses, cooking oil and ghee”, stated PM. At the event, PM was joined by Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM, Shibli Faraz, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Syed Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, and country heads of international development partners. PM also gave away cheques among women beneficiaries of Ehsaas.

Mar 5, 2022 – Lahore: Governor Punjab, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar and Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM co-chaired the “Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Retailers’ Convention” held at the Governor’s House in Lahore. The event was hosted by Punjab Social Welfare Department. Punjab Minister for Social Welfare and Bait ul Mal, Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari also joined the convention alongside the senior leadership of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Bank of Punjab and Bank of Khyber. Deputy Commissioners from all over Punjab participated in the event together with a large number of retailers, and office bearers of trader associations as well as Kiryana alliances. A detailed interaction was held with retailers. Dr. Sania spoke to Kiryana retailers and clarified their questions about the Ehsaas Rashan programme. Best performing Kiryana retailers were awarded with shields under the programme. DCs were also conferred shields for their active role in Ehsaas Rashan Registration Drive.

March 4, 2022 – Khyber Tribal District: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM visited Tirah Valley in Khyber Tribal District. She welcomed thousands of internally displaced families returning home after twelve long years. During the visit, she announced the federal government’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash package for 15,699 affected families, after the Prime Minister’s approval. Each family will get one off cash assistance of Rs. 20,000 as an immediate relief. Dr. Sania was joined by senior officials of Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps North KP. She also interacted with the men as well as women of affected families and assessed their need. While in Tirah, Dr. Sania also reviewed arrangements being made to open Ehsaas Registration Desks. Ehsaas’ shock-responsive registry is being operationalized in the valley for self-registration of families in need of Ehsaas’ cash assistance.

March 1, 2022 – Islamabad: Under the Ehsaas umbrella, the meeting of the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Steering Committee was convened at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the meeting. The steering committee meeting commenced with the briefing on the roll out progress of the programme. Revising the eligibility criteria, the committee agreed to change the family income threshold to a certain level so that maximum number of deserving families could benefit from the Rashan Riayat programme. Under the second phase of registration, Ehsaas 8171 SMS service has also recently been reopened to register low-income families for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme. The steering committee has the mandate to oversee the roll out of the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat through PASSD and National Bank of Pakistan.

Feb 27, 2022 – Islamabad: Ehsaas has reopened the 8171 SMS service to register low-income families for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme. “Keeping in view the keen interest of people, we have decided to reopen the Ehsaas 8171 SMS service so that more deserving families can benefit from the Rashan Riayat programme of Ehsaas”, said Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM. Families with monthly income less than Rs. 50,000 can enroll themselves by simply sending their CNIC to 8171. Only one member of an applicant family whose mobile number is issued on his own Computerised National Identity Card can register his family through 8171. The formal roll out of the programme in partnership with National Bank of Pakistan is just on the anvil. In this regard, all arrangements are ready. Under the programme, 30% targeted subsidy will be granted on monthly basis to 20 million eligible families on the purchase of flour, pulses, cooking oil or ghee.

Feb 24, 2022 – Peshawar: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM inaugurated the newly built model Panagah at Charsadda Road, Peshawar. This new Panagah is the second in Peshawar and eighth in KP. In line with Prime Minister’s vision of developing Pakistan as a welfare state, the model facility will provide one star plus bed and breakfast facility with meals, essentials, hygiene, and security standards. “So far, we have opened 39 model Panagahs nationwide. As per PM’s special instructions, Panagahs not only provide boarding and lodging to daily wage earners but also a two-time meal for them, and all this is done with utmost dignity. Each Panagah serves free meals to around 500 people and offers 100-bed facility for overnight stay”, said Dr. Sania while speaking to media. Dr. Sania also took round of the facility and interacted with the staff and daily wagers being served. Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, Managing Director Pakistan Bait ul Mal gave an overview of prioritized service standards at the Panagah.

Feb 24, 2022 – Khyber Tribal District: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM inaugurated the Ehsaas Center in Jamrud Tehsil of Khyber Tribal District where Ehsaas payments, Ehsaas survey registration and Ehsaas School Stipends’ enrollments are being delivered under one roof. Ehsaas Centers have also been opened in Bara and Landi Kotal Tehsils of Khyber. At the center, Dr. Sania spoke to women, listened to their concerns, and assured them full cooperation. While in Khyber, Dr. Sania also made a surprise visit to an orphanage, “Dar-ul-Ehsaas” and inspected the facility that houses one hundred deserving children.

Feb 22, 2022 – Islamabad: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Huawei Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding to close the digital divide and to reduce the gender gap by empowering women through digital technologies all across Pakistan in Punjab, KP and Sindh to begin with. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM was a chief guest on the occasion. The event focused on gender inclusion in ICT field and facilitating the digital empowerment of women in Pakistan by enhancing collaboration with national and international companies. The signing ceremony was also attended by Federal Secretary (IT & T) Dr. Muhammad Sohail Rajput, PTA Chairman Maj Gen (Retd) Amir Azeem Bajwa, CEO Jazz Aamir Ibrahim, CEO Ufone Hatem Bamatraf, CEO Telenor Pakistan Irfan Wahab Khan, Deputy CEO Huawei Pakistan Ahmed Bilal Masud, and Mr. Wu Han, along with other respective members from signing parties.

Feb 18, 2022 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM made an unannounced visit to Islamabad Model College for Girls in Tarlai area of Islamabad. Dr. Sania met with girls enrolled under Ehsaas School Stipends and took their feedback about the programme. During the visit, she also checked the attendance records of enrollees. Later, Dr. Sania sat with teachers and college administration for policy insights. Senior officials of Ehsaas were also present on the occasion. Under the school stipends programme of Ehsaas, girls get a higher stipend amount as compared to boys from nursery to 12^th grade.

Feb 17, 2022 – Islamabad: A meeting was held between Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM and Bill Gates, Microsoft co-founder, and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This was Bill Gates’ first ever visit to Pakistan. Dr. Sania briefed him about Ehsaas and the focus on data, digitization, & transparency as key drivers of all Ehsaas programmes. During the meeting, Bill Gates termed Ehsaas “a state of the art programme”. Dr. Sania thanked him for his words of appreciation for Ehsaas and his support. Ehsaas programmes and initiatives are end-to-end digitized, reducing human discretion and exploitation. Bill Gates was also briefed on governance reforms under Ehsaas and the Building and Rebuilding Institutions Initiative (BRI). Secretary Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Ismat Tahira, Additional Secretary Captain (Rtd) Saeed Ahmed Nawaz and Additional Secretary Syed Moazzam were also present in the meeting.

Feb 17, 2022 – Islamabad: A high-level German delegation from BMZ, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development Germany hailed the One Window Center of Ehsaas in Islamabad. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed the delegation on the single window operations of multisectoral Ehsaas programme. The visit aimed to explore avenues of collaboration with Ehsaas. Mr. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary BMZ; Mr. Helmut Fischer, Head of Division, BMZ; Mr. Bernard Schlagheck, German Ambassador to Pakistan; and Mr. Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel, Board Member of the Deutsche Gesellschaft Fuer International Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), were part of the delegation. Members of the delegation took keen interest in the real time demonstration of One Window Ehsaas operations. They felicitated Ehsaas on the commendable integration of all Ehsaas benefits under one roof.

February 15, 2022 – Islamabad: Country Director Asian Development Bank (ADB), Yong Ye visited ‘One Window Ehsaas Center’ in Sitara Market of the federal capital. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM welcomed him to the center. The visit explored collaborative options to expand the One Window Ehsaas operations all over the country. Yong Ye was briefed on the ‘One Stop Shop’ operations of Ehsaas which integrate all benefits for 14 different target groups in one space. He highly appreciated the integration of wide range of services for social protection, financial inclusion, education, health and nutrition, and poverty graduation education at the One Window Ehsaas Center. From Ehsaas’ side, Secretary Ismat Tahira, Additional Secretary Syed Moazzam and Director General Naveed Akbar were also present at the center.

Feb 14, 2022 – Islamabad: From Feb 1, 2022 the biannual stipend amount of Ehsaas Kafaalat has been raised from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 13,000. The increase of Rs.1,000 was ratified by the Federal Cabinet in June last year to benefit all Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries. “With the recent raise in Kafaalat stipend amount, all eligible beneficiaries of Kafaalat will now get Rs. 13,000 as a six-monthly stipend amount. No agent of partnering banks will be allowed to illegally deduct any money from payment to deserving families”, said Dr. Sania in her televised message for retail agents of Habib Bank and Bank Alfalah. Further, caveating agents to refrain from fraudulent deductions, Dr. Sania reiterated, “A stern action will be taken against agents involved in illegal deductions. They will be dealt with strictly according to the law.” She also urged beneficiaries to collect full payment of Rs. 13,000 from the agents along with the computerized payment receipt at the time of Kafaalat cash disbursement. The video message can be watched here.

Feb 10, 2022 – Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan awarded appreciation certificates to the 10 top performing federal ministries under his government. Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) achieved third position among the 10 best ministries. The Communications and Planning Ministries got top honors of first and second respectively. From PASSD, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM together with Secretary of the Division, Muhammad Ali Shahzada received the award. Certificates were distributed in accordance with performance agreements signed with the federal ministries in which targets were set for them. Addressing the event, PM emphasized the importance of improved ministry performance in achieving the country’s self-sufficiency goal. Other top ministries recognised for their performance at a ceremony included Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Ministry of Human Rights, Ministry of Industries and Production, National Security Division, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of National Food Security and Research.

Feb 4, 2022 – Rawalpindi: This world cancer day, Ehsaas Tahafuz has announced its policy to extend support to cancer wards across Pakistan. In Pakistan, it is estimated that over 170,000 new cancer cases are reported every year. Cancer is responsible for the highest deaths in Pakistani population, and the most common cause is inability of patients and their families to bear the catastrophic health expenditures. Ehsaas Tahafuz is the government of Pakistan’s sister programme alongside Sehat Sahulat to protect the vulnerable population from catastrophic health expenditures. Tahafuz is now rapidly scaling up nationwide, after a successful pilot over the last two and a half years in Holy Family Hospital, Rawalpindi. Dr. Sania visited the Holy Family Hospital to meet the cancer patients being treated under Ehsaas Tahafuz. She was welcomed by Medical Superintendent, Dr. Shazia Zeb. SAPM took round of the hospital and met with cancer patients and their families. “We have taken a principal decision to include cancer packages in Ehsaas Tahafuz”, said Dr. Sania while speaking to media at the hospital.

Islamabad – Feb 2, 2022: A consultative workshop on the research strategy was held, under the umbrella of Ehsaas. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the workshop. A draft research strategy was presented for inputs and was finalized. The workshop discussed broad contours of a three-year research strategy for Ehsaas that will provide the framework for all research related activities aimed at improving the effectiveness of wider safety net operations. Participants included Dr. Ashfaque Hassan Khan, Dean and Principal NUST School of Social Sciences & Humanities; Knut Ostby, UNDP Resident Representative; Omer Bin Zia, Senior Project Officer, Asian Development Bank; Dr. Ali Salman, Executive Director, Policy Research Institute of Market Economy, Dr. Aliya, Economist, Quaid-e-Azam University; and Dr. Zahid Asghar, Director School of Economics, Quaid e Azam University. Senior representatives from PIDE, Lahore School of Economics, Asian Development Bank, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Social Policy and Development Center also joined the workshop. From Ehsaas, Secretary Ismat Tahira, DG Naveed Akbar, DG Noor Rehman and DG Tariq Mehmood were also present on the occasion.

Jan 28, 2022 – Tashkent: Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak at the apex level event with heads of ministries and agencies of member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Poverty Alleviation. Jamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Poverty Reduction, Republic of Uzbekistan hosted the event in Tashkent. Speaking at the event, Dr. Sania highlighted, “Prime Minister Imran Khan during his speech at the meeting of Head of States of SCO which was held in June 2019 in Bishkek articulated his eight-point agenda. This included a proposal to narrow the research-policy gap through the establishment of leading knowledge center for poverty reduction within the SCO framework.” Further, she reiterated, “There is an urgent need to establish a permanent mechanism for regular exchange of experiences and information on the applied innovative measures aimed at poverty alleviation.” The apex event also discussed regional approaches to poverty alleviation in the SCO member states.

Jan 27, 2022 – Islamabad: A meeting of the steering committee for the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme was convened at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. The steering committee has been re-constituted to oversee the roll out of the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat through PASSD and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP). The steering committee discussed and took beneficiary targeting decisions in line with guidance from the Federal Cabinet to support deserving families through Rashan programme. Ehsaas 8171 SMS registration service has been closed for families to register for Ehsaas Rashan on Jan 26, 2022. Overall, 19 million applicants have registered for the programme. On the ratification of steering committee, the applicants’ data is currently being analyzed with Ehsaas’ data analytics to determine the eligibility. Additional Secretary PASSD, Additional Secretary Finance, Chief Secretary Punjab, Chief Secretary KP, Chief Secretary AJK, Secretary Finance Baluchistan, Secretary Industries Punjab, Secretary Social Welfare KP came to the table together with MD Utility Stores, Group Head Digital Banking NBP, DG Social Protection Authority Punjab, DG Technology Ehsaas and DG Ehsaas National Socio-Economic Registry.

Jan 26, 2022 – Islamabad: Ehsaas hosted a high-level panel discussion with country heads of international development partners to celebrate the launch of Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif app. The event themed around, “Role of conditional cash transfers in improving Human Capital Development in Pakistan”. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the event. Discussions profoundly resonated with the theme of International Education Day 2022, “Changing Course, Transforming Education”. Expert panelists were—Dr. Christian Turner, British High Commissioner to Pakistan; Najy Benhassine, Country Director, the World Bank; Yong Ye, Country Director, Asian Development Bank (ADB); Aida Girma, Country Representative, UNICEF; and Naveed Akbar, Director General, Ehsaas Conditional Cash Transfers. Panelists shared their experiences in administering education conditional cash transfer programmes. The fully digital, Ehsaas School Stipends/Taleemi Wazaif programme was widely lauded. Distinguished panelists termed Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif app revolutionary to promote education for all in Pakistan. Secretary Ismat Tahira was also present on the occasion.

Jan 25, 2022 – Islamabad: The Ehsaas 8171 SMS service to register deserving families for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme is closing on Jan 26, 2022 at 12 midnight. Families earning below Rs. 50,000 monthly can register by sending their CNIC to 8171 before the service closes. “All arrangements are in final stages to roll out the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme in partnership with National Bank of Pakistan. Also, family eligibility of applicants is currently being determined and we will start sending the eligibility messages very soon, said Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM while announcing the closure of Ehsaas 8171 SMS service for registration of families. The registration of Karyana stores is not closing with 8171 and it will continue through the web-portal: https://ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk/. Under the programme, a targeted subsidy of Rs. 1,000 per month will be granted to each of 20 million eligible families on the purchase of flour, pulses, cooking oil or ghee.

Jan 24, 2022 – Islamabad: Commemorating the International Day of Education, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM visited Islamabad Government Model College for Girls Kot Hathyal in outskirts of Islamabad to formally launch the Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif application. “Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif” android app has specifically been developed to enable enrolment of children from Ehsaas eligible households at their doorstep. During the event, Dr. Sania enrolled a girl in the school stipends programme. She sat with children, mothers and teachers and guided them about the end-to-end digital enrollment process through the newly launched android app. “Facilitating people to self-enroll their children under the Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif programme, we have introduced the app today. Using this app, families can enroll their children themselves at their doorstep without visiting any office”, said Dr. Sania Nishtar while speaking to media. In the next 3 years, Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif programme intends to bring 10 million deserving children into its fold from 160 districts of Pakistan.

Jan 20, 2022 – Islamabad: At the Sir Syed Memorial Hall in Islamabad, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) jointly organized the Ehsaas Rehribaan Conference. The event was themed, “Transformation of Street Vending in Islamabad and Lessons for Urban Pakistan”. Senator, Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM was the chief guest at the conference. She distributed vending licenses, issued by the municipality, among the street vendors of Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Rehribaan initiative. Around 150 street vendors, who are given vending licenses and new ecofriendly carts under Ehsaas Rehribaan participated in the conference. Purpose of the conference was to highlight the transformation of street vending in Islamabad under the ongoing Ehsaas Rehribaan initiative and its lessons for replication in Urban Pakistan. High number of officials and representatives from municipality, government agencies, academia, microfinance banks and civil society also attended.

Jan 8, 2022 – Multan: Early morning, Dr. Sania held a policy consultation with Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship awardees from Bahauddin Zakariya University (BZU) Multan. Students from the remote districts of South Punjab and Sindh participated in the consultation. Ehsaas Scholarship recipients widely lauded that the programme had financially empowered them to gain access to university education. Appreciating the transparent execution of Ehsaas scholarships, Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Mansoor Akber Kundi termed it a life changing programme for poor students. Senior faculty members of (BZU) and officials of Ehsaas also joined the consultation.

Jan 16, 2022 – Dubai: Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division in collaboration with Pakistan’s Permanent Mission in New York organized three-themed daylong activities at Expo Dubai 2020 in Pakistan Pavilion. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation chaired these events. Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York convened an information session with Member States to garner support for the Universal Declaration on Social Protection, which Pakistan is leading. Dr. Sania keynoted the event. Participants included Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to UN; Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Permanent Representative of Turkey to UN; Tijjani Muhammad-Bande – Permanent Representative of Nigeria to UN; and Rodrigo Alberto Carazo Zeledón, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to UN. The Permanent Representatives of Argentina, Peru and China also spoke at the event and supported the idea of platform. This process started with the mission hosting an event on Social Protection during the United Nations High Level Political Forum in July 2021. The event was co-hosted by Turkey, Nigeria and Costa Rica. 15 countries have already indicated interest in joining the platform and signing the Declaration.

Jan 16, 2022 – Dubai: At Expo Dubai 2020 in Pakistan Pavilion, Ehsaas featured a high-level panel discussion on, “Global experiences in cash transfer programmes”. Dr. Sania along with Pakistan’s Ambassador to United Arab Emirates, Afzal Mehmood co-chaired the event. Panel comprised of global experts, relevant ministers and academics including Ugo Gentilini, Global Lead for Social Assistance, the World Bank; Michal Rutowski, Global Director for Social Protection and Jobs, the World Bank Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation Togo; Francesca Bastagali, Director Equity and Social Policy, Overseas Development Institute; Noor Rehman Khan, DG Ehsaas Unconditional Cash Transfers Ehsaas; and Naveed Akbar, DG Ehsaas Conditional Cash Transfers Ehsaas. Panelists shared their global learnings and experiences in administering and studying cash transfer programmes. Ehsaas’ programmes were richly commended for casting wider cash transfers.

Jan 16, 2022 – Dubai: Ehsaas team hosted a “meet and greet event” at Expo Dubai 2020 to inform visitors of Pakistan Pavilion about Ehsaas and its over 288 programmes, initiatives and policy actions. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM and senior officials of Ehsaas—Director General Naveed Akbar and Director General Noor Rehman were personally present at the Pavilion to educate visitors about Ehsaas. Visitors took keen interest in Ehsaas and richly appreciated its myriad pro-poor programmes.

Jan 15, 2022 – Dubai: At Expo Dubai 2020’s Nexus, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak at a high-level global event, “A Decade of Action: Driving Progress for the 2030 Agenda”. Co-curated by Expo 2020 and the United Nations, the event marked the beginning of Global Goals Week. Top leadership from countries and organizations working on the SDGs came together for solutions-focused discussions around four ‘anchor’ areas – Climate Change and Energy, Food Systems, Gender Equality and Human Capital. This event was co-hosted by Deputy Secretary General. Amina J. Mohammed and the Minister of State for International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates and Director General of the Expo 2020, H.E. Reem Al Hashmy. This high-level invitation only event brought together 30 global leaders to discuss how in the spirit of the Decade of Action, the international community could drive action towards the successful fulfilment of the SDGs. There were 4 speakers in this exclusive event. Dr. Sania was invited to speak about human capital and the SDGs.

Jan 14, 2022 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired a review meeting with Ehsaas Tahafuz team at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division. The meeting tracked preparations for the nationwide expansion of Ehsaas Tahafuz. The programme is being to 14 public sector hospitals across all four provinces and federating units. Director General, Ehsaas Tahafuz briefed on the scale-up plan and progress on the development of dashboards and website. Secretary of the Division, Muhammad Ali Shahzada was also present. Ehsaas Tahafuz is Pakistan’s first shock-oriented precision safety net being introduced under the umbrella of Ehsaas. Currently, it is fully functional in one hospital of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

Jan 12, 2022: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM was invited to keynote the International Chambers Summit 2022. The two-day summit was attended by more than 60 chamber presidents from across Pakistan, including nine women’s chambers and nine small chamber presidents. Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry had organized the event. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sania urged Presidents of Chambers to create awareness among Kiryana shopkeepers in their respective areas on the ongoing Ehsaas Rashan Registration Drive. She highlighted that Kiryana retailers will get 8% tax free commission on each Ehsaas Rashan sale amount. Kiryana retailers will be able to win cars, motorcycles, mobile phones etc through quarterly lucky draws. Kiryana owners signaled their full interest and cooperation towards the registration drive of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan and Razzaq Dawood, Advisor to the PM on Commerce and Investment also attended the chamber’s summit.

Jan 11, 2022 – Islamabad: A delegation of Cabinet Ministers visited One Window Center of Ehsaas in Sitara Market, Islamabad. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed them on the One Stop Shop services of Ehsaas which consolidate all benefits for 14 different target groups. The delegation comprised of Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Asad Umar; Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, Shafqat Mehmood; Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Haider Zaidi; Federal Minister for Industries and Production, Khusro Bakhtiar; Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Qasim Khan Suri; and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Farrukh Habib. The delegation took round of the Center to witness wide ranging Ehsaas facilities and services and met with beneficiaries. It was followed by a joint media briefing. They greatly appreciated that the first One Window Center of Ehsaas was taking care of its beneficiaries like a mother and felicitated Ehsaas on the successful consolidation of all Ehsaas benefits in a single space. Media briefing can be watched here.

Jan 10, 2022 – Islamabad: A progress review meeting was held with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to track the cadence of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Registration. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. It was appreciated that with the collaborative efforts of Chief Secretaries of KP and Punjab, NBP team and district administrations, the Kiryana retailer registrations have risen substantively from 300 to 3,000 per week. President NBP, Arif Usmani; Chief Digital Officer NBP, Hamayoun Sajjad, executive leadership and over 500 regional officers from all over the country joined the meeting. Secretary of the Social Safety Division, Muhammad Ali Shahzada and Additional Secretary Captain (Retd) Saeed Ahmed Nawaz were also in attendance. The Rashan Riayat programme of Ehsaas is being executed in partnership with NBP.

Jan 10, 2022 – Islamabad: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Pakistan’s Mission to United Nations in New York convened a briefing today with the Heads of Diplomatic Missions in Islamabad to promote “Declaration on Establishing a Global Social Protection Knowledge Platform”. The Declaration is being led by Pakistan’s Mission to UN in New York in cooperation with a “Group of Friends on Social Protection” including Costa Rica, Nigeria and Turkey, supported by the World Bank. Diplomatic Corps from over 40 countries joined the briefing. Chairing the briefing, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM introduced the Declaration and interacted with participants on its conceptualization and the operationalization of the Global Social Protection Knowledge Platform. Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood highlighted the objectives of the briefing and called on the Heads of Missions to apprise their respective governments to support this global knowledge-sharing initiative. The participants were also informed that Ehsaas, Pakistan’s social protection programme, has organized a day-long event at the Dubai Expo Pakistan Pavilion on 16 January 2022 to promote the Declaration.

Jan 8, 2022 – Khanewal: On the second day of visit to South Punjab, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM spent a very busy day in Khanewal. At the District Headquarter Hospital Khanewal, she opened the Ehsaas Nashonuma Center. Senior officials of Ehsaas were also preseFour Ehsaas Nashonuma Centers are functional in Jahanian, Khanewal, Kabirwala and Mian Channu Tehsils of Khanewal. Currently, Ehsaas Nashonuma Centers are operational in two districts of South Punjab: Khanewal and Rajanpur. “In line with PM’s vision to address stunting in children, Ehsaas Nashonuma Centers will be opened in all tehsils of the country this year”, said Dr. Sania. Under Ehsaas Nashonuma, nutrition centered cash transfers are granted to the pregnant and lactating mothers and those with children under 2 years of age. Disbursements are linked to the consumption of nutritious food, immunization, checkups, and participation in health awareness training.

Jan 8, 2022 – Khanewal: Dr. Sania went to Khanewal to witness the digital process of children being registered for Ehsaas School Stipends. She met with children and mothers at Government Girls Primary School, Kot Ala Singh in Khanewal. She also spoke to teachers, beneficiary children and their mothers. At Kot Ala Singh school, 60 out of 160 total children are currently being enrolled for Ehsaas School Stipends. “Under the programme, girls’ stipends are high as compared to boys. This is the first of its kind girl favoring programme worldwide to inspire poorest families to send their children especially girls to schools”, commented Dr. Sania.

Jan 8, 2022 – Multan: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired a meeting on Ehsaas Tahafuz with management and senior officials of Nishtar Hospital Multan. Vice Chancellor Nishtar Medical University, Dr. Rana Altaf, Secretary Health; Director General Ehsaas Tahafuz; and Director General Ehsaas, Punjab, were also present on the occasion. The meeting explored ways of collaboration between Ehsaas Tahafuz and Nishtar Hospital. It was discussed that Tahafuz programme is being expanded to 14 public hospitals of the country this year. Tahafuz, under the umbrella of Ehsaas, is a patient centric, shock-oriented programme that caters to one-time catastrophic health costs for those who lack the ability to bear the heavy expenditures.

June 8, 2022 – Islamabad: On special instructions of the Prime Minister, winter clothes, shawls, caps and socks are being distributed among poor inmates of Panagahs. This is to protect the daily wage earners from harsh weather conditions. Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM) is monitoring the distribution process to ensure accommodating every deserving person in Panagahs. Aiming to protect the daily wagers, laborers, passengers, and other needy persons from the extreme cold weather conditions; this kind gesture really describes the affection of Prime Minister for the vulnerable populace of the country. PBM is one of the main executing agencies of Ehsaas with a responsibility for Panagahs and other care services.

Jan 7, 2020 – Multan: While in Multan, Dr. Sania was joined by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at Commissioner’s Office. A Together with the Foreign Minister, Dr. Sania co-chaired a meeting with Parliamentarians, district administration and District Coordination Committee of Multan. The meeting was briefed on the ongoing programmes of Ehsaas in the district including Ehsaas Kafaalat, Ehsaas School Stipends, Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships, Ehsaas Interest Free Loans and Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. The meeting concluded at a joint press conference. Press conference can be watched here.

Jan 7, 2022 – Multan: On the fifth leg of Ehsaas Rashan Tour to 30 cities, Dr. Sania made a visit to Multan. She was also accompanied by senior officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Ehsaas. The visit meant to mobilize local trader associations and Kiryana alliances across Multan for raising awareness on the Ehsaas Rashan Registration drive across Multan. At Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Sania chaired a meeting with local Kiryana retailers, NBP team and local press and electronic media. She highlighted that the government would give 8% commission to Kiryana retailers on subsidy amount and there will be quarterly lucky draws to award cars, motorcycles, mobile phones etc to best performing retailers. Later, she went to the Old Shujabad Road to speak to Kiryana retailers in the market about the Ehsaas Rashan programme. Kiryana owners showed a very positive response and enthusiasm for the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme. The meeting was followed by a media briefing which can be watched here.

Jan 6, 2022 – Islamabad: Ehsaas has successfully accomplished a countrywide National Socio-economic Registry Survey which includes households’ information in terms of geographic data, demographics, socio-economic status, education, health, disability, employment, energy consumption, assets, communications, agri-landholdings, WASH, livestock etc. To celebrate the achievement of this milestone, Ehsaas hosted a launch event in Islamabad. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the ceremony. Najy Benhassine, Country Director the World Bank, Julien Harneis, Resident Coordinator UNRC, Secretary Ismat Tahira, and senior representatives of Government Departments, Asian Development Bank, development partners and media officials joined the event. Director General Naveed Akbar outlined the design, end to end digital methodology, approaches and rigorous transparency measures embedded in the execution of survey. Speaking on the occasion, Country Director World Bank said, “I congratulate Government of Pakistan and Ehsaas on achieving this historical milestone. This is not just Pakistan but also South Asia’s first digitally enabled socio-economic census.”

Jan 5, 2022 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar together with MD Utility Stores Corporation (USC) visited a Utility Store in G-6 Islamabad to field test the integration of data and Point of Sales (PoS) systems between Ehsaas, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and USC under the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme. At the Utility Store, Dr. Sania witnessed the first transaction and met with the first cohort of beneficiaries who were declared eligible under the testing phase, after they enrolled for Ehsaas Rashan through 8171. Through the newly integrated system, the eligibility of the buyers was verified, and they were able to avail subsidy on the purchase of flour, cooking oil, ghee and pulses. “It is very encouraging to see the successful system and data integration which is a result of the hard work of USC, NBP and Ehsaas teams. This is, in fact, a great milestone”, said Dr. Sania. Work under the Ehsaas Rashan programme is underway, registration and scrutiny of applicants is ongoing and very soon the Ehsaas Rashan subsidies will be available through a network of Utility Stores of Corporation and NBP authorized Kiryana stores all over the country.

Jan 4, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM and Director General Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Dr. Sanaullah Abbasi held a special meeting to strengthen coordination against fraudulent deductions in the field, cybercrimes, scams, fake websites, fake SMS, fake Whatsapp messages, fake apps, defrauding the poor particularly the Ehsaas beneficiaries. During the meeting, it was decided that miscreants, swindlers, and scammers who defraud innocent people will be dealt with strictly. “In fight against corruption, Ehsaas is making every effort with FIA to curb frauds and scams in the name of Ehsaas. In this regard, a series of meetings will also be held every week between Ehsaas and FIA to exchange new insights of cases”, said Dr. Sania. This weekly meeting will be attended both by Dr. Sania and DG FIA. “We will lend full support to Ehsaas to punish fraudsters”, vowed DG FIA.

Jan 3, 2022 – Islamabad: The Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship portal officially closed on Dec 31, 2021 for new applications of the year 2021. As many as, 122,744 undergraduate students including 50,048 girls and 652 transgenders have applied for scholarships. “With the closure of portal, the scrutiny of applications has just begun, and it is envisaged that final selection process will be completed in the next quarter with all 135 public sector universities”, said Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM. Higher Education Commission (HEC) and all public sector universities have also been urged to expedite the scrutiny and selection process with full transparency. Ehsaas will award 50,000 new scholarships to deserving students. In line with the undergraduate scholarship policy of Ehsaas, fifty percent of scholarships will go to girls.

Jan 3, 2022 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired a briefing together with Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Amer Ali Ahmed on Ehsaas Rashan Registration. The briefing discussed the registration drive plan with CDA to expedite the enrollment of Kiryana retailers and families across all fifty union councils of the federal capital. Currently, the Ehsaas Rashan Registration Drive is in full swing with district administrations of Punjab, KP, GB and AJK. An engaging Rashan workshop will be held with CDA this week to kick off the drive across Islamabad. Chairman CDA assured full cooperation to run a capital wide registration drive. Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Hamayoun Sajjad, Chief Digital Officer, NBP and other senior officials of NBP and CDA also joined the briefing.

Jan 2, 2022 – Chakwal: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar was a chief guest at the Ginger Harvest Workshop to inaugurate the first ever ginger cultivation in Balkasar area of Chakwal. The harvest celebration was organized by Agrionics Farms. This was the first ginger harvest piloted in Pakistan. The crop was grown in eleven months. At the event, participants learnt from experts about the sustainable production and management of ginger and how to properly harvest this crop. Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, Chairman Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Muhammad Najeebullah, Director Vegetable Research Institute, Faisalabad and other experts were also present on the occasion. Participants were provided with information on how to successfully grow and harvest ginger in the country. Experts presented research-based information about the agricultural benefits of growing ginger locally. After knowledge-sharing, all participants went to the field for the formal inauguration and demonstrations. Chairman PAC briefed Dr. Sania on the success of ginger cultivation project and its potential to boost Pakistan’s farming sector.

Dec 30, 2021- Islamabad: Ehsaas hosted an appreciation award ceremony to honour the contributions of field teams and regional officials of Ehsaas engaged in Ehsaas School Stipends enrollment drive. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the ceremony. Secretary Ismat Tahira, DG Naveed Akbar, DG Khalid Siddique and DG Zafar Kamal also graced the occasion. During the period of Jul to Sep 2021, majority of field teams met all enrollment targets on time and made substantial progress on creating awareness and leading enrollment drive for Ehsaas School Stipends. The programme enrolled 907,486 children in all tehsils of the country which shows 99.3% achievement against the target of 913,590. To celebrate the achievement of this major milestone, a cohort of 30 high performing field officers were invited to Islamabad. Dr. Sania applauded the efforts of high achieving officials and encouraged them for their future milestones. The event was attended by the high performing officials from Gujranwala, Layyah, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Multan, Lakki Marwat, Malakand, Abbottabad, Kohistan, Skardu, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Poonch, Hattian Bala, Mastung, Naseerabad, Karachi, Tando Allahyar and Islamabad. A plan was also discussed to expedite the enrolment drive in the first quarter of year 2022. Later, Dr. Sania gave away appreciation certificates to high performers.

Dec 29, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania keynoted a high-level consultative workshop on “Youth Employability and Poverty Alleviation” for the members of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) Assembly. The two-day workshop was held by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP). Dr. Sania appreciated the proactive approach of the government of GB towards Ehsaas. “In addition to monthly stipends, families eligible in Ehsaas Kafaalat are also benefitting from Ehsaas School Stipends across all Tehsils of GB. The program gives stipends from primary to the higher secondary levels. Ehsaas Nashonuma, Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship and Ehsaas Interest Free Loan programmes are also running in GB”, said Dr. Sania. A strategic plan was also discussed with members of GB Assembly to open Ehsaas Nashonuma and Ehsaas One Window Centers in all Tehsils of GB. Dr. Sania also encouraged members of GB Assembly to create awareness among the people of GB on a multitude of Ehsaas programmes particularly, the ongoing Ehsaas Rashan registration drive with Kiryana retailers and families. The inaugural session was graced by the Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan, Khalid Khurshid Khan. The speakers in the workshop emphasized on contextualizing the development plans so that they are more in sync with the issues of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Dec 22, 2021 – Islamabad: In a soft launch event, Prime Minister Imran Khan broke the ground for the new model Panagahs being built in Islamabad Capital Territory with improved standards and structure. On the special instructions of the Prime Minister, the four new Panagahs are being built in Tarlai, Tarnol, G-9 and Mandi More areas of Islamabad adjacent to the existing facilities. At the event, PM also unveiled the final plans of these multistoried Panagahs to be constructed. He lauded Ehsaas team, CDA, NCA and all concerned for their collaborative efforts and instructed to ensure the speedy execution of new model Panagahs. The Prime Minister underlined the importance of provision of quality food and service at the Panagahs. He also appreciated the collective efforts of the concerned departments and directed them to replicate the model in the provinces on the same line. Earlier, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed the PM on the Panagahs’ new strategic plan including construction, furnishing, governance, execution, digital monitoring, capacity building and financing.

Dec 21, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired a briefing together with Chief Secretary Punjab, Kamran Ali Afzal on Ehsaas Rashan Registration. DG Social Welfare, Secretary Food, Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of all districts of Punjab attended the meeting. The briefing discussed detailed plan with district administrations of Punjab to expedite the registration of Kiryana retailers and families under the ongoing Ehsaas Rashan Registration drive. Outlining details of Ehsaas Rashan programme, Dr. Sania urged the district administrations in Punjab to support the ongoing registration drive with Kiryana retailers and families. Chief Secretary Punjab and district administrations widely lauded Ehsaas Rashan programme and ensured full support for its registration drive. It was agreed that regular weekly meetings will be convened to track the registration drive across all districts of Punjab. Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), Captain (Rtd) Saeed Ahmed Nawaz, Additional Secretary of the Division, Hamayoun Sajjad, Chief Digital Officer, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and other senior officials of the bank also joined the briefing.

December 16, 2021- Islamabad: Ehsaas and World Food Programme (WFP) inked a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to extend the Ehsaas Nashonuma programme currently from 15 districts to all Tehsils of Pakistan. David Beasley, Executive Director, World Food Programme and Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar SAPM jointly witnessed the MoU signing ceremony. Country Director WFP Pakistan, Chris Kaye and Secretary Ismat Tahira formally signed the MoU. Speaking on the occasion, David Beasley stated, “I highly commend Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision and commitment to address the issue of stunting in children across Pakistan. Other countries can also learn from it.” He also congratulated the PM on the success of the programme. Dr. Sania termed Ehsaas’ partnership with WFP as remarkable and thanked the WFP leadership and country team for their assistance in the programme design, roll out and national scale-up. Senior officials of Ehsaas and WFP Pakistan also joined the event.

Dec 15, 2021- Islamabad: President Dr. Arif Alvi visited the One Window Ehsaas Center in Sitara Market. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed him on the One Stop Shop operations of Ehsaas which integrate all benefits and services for 14 different target groups in one space. At the Center, President took stock of the wide ranging One Window Ehsaas services and met with beneficiaries. “It is heartening to see that all Ehsaas services can be accessed at this facility in a well-coordinated manner, and this is the real demonstration of a welfare state”, said President. He highly commended the integration of all Ehsaas services under one roof and congratulated Ehsaas team for running a multitude of Ehsaas programmes with utmost integrity and transparency. Secretary Ismat Tahira, DG Khalid Siddique, DG Naveed Akbar, DG Meer Anwar and other senior officials of Ehsaas were also present on the occasion.

Dec 10, 2021 – Islamabad: Commemorating sixteen days of activism campaign against gender-based violence, the event titled, ‘Humein Ehsaas Hai Khwateen Ka” was held under the umbrella of Ehsaas. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM was the chief guest on the occassion. The event was co-organzied by Ehsaas, National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) and Quaid -e-Azam University. Nilofer Bakhtiar, Chairperson, NCSW; Secretary Ismat Tahira; Secretary Arif Anwar Baloch, and Dr. Muhammad Ali, VC Quaid-e-Azam University also graced the occasion. Addressing the event, Dr. Sania said, “Education is essential for the socio-economic empowerment of girls and women. “Ehsaas is the only programme worldwide that offers a higher stipend amount for girls compared to boys under its CCT programmes; Ehsaas School Stipends and Ehsaas Nashonuma”, she highlighted further. Dr. Sania also applauded the collaboration between NCSW and Ehsaas. The event was widely attended by senior officials of Ehsaas, government officials, development partners, awardees of Ehsaas undergraduate scholarships, faculty and students of Quaid-e-Azam University, and women and girls from all walks of life.

Dec 9, 2021: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM who is also the member of Gobal Council on SDG 1 was invited to join the meeting of the council. This was the first meeting of the council in its second term until 2023. The meeting included introductions of the council members and exchange of initial ideas on the goals of the council in the second term, its workplan, priorities and deliverables. The Global Councils on SDGs is an interdisciplinary network of decision makers from governments, international organizations, academia, and the private sector, share innovative practices and discuss the creative implementation of the SDGs at the national and global level. The Council aims to work on creating new partnerships between countries, organizations, and sustainable development advocates for the implementation of SDGs.

Dec 8, 2021 – Peshawar: Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Peshawar to launch the registration drive of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister said, “Ehsaas Rashan Registration is currently underway, nationwide. We have launched Rs. 120 billion Ehsaas Rashan Riayat to protect the 20 million underprivileged families from the effects of COVID induced inflation that has impacted not just Pakistan but the entire world. Overall, the programme will cover more than half the country’s population.” At the Governor House KP, PM was joined by Mahmood Khan, Chief Minister KP; Shah Farman, Governor KP; Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM; Fawad Chaudhry, Federal Minister for information and Broadcasting, Ministers and Members of Provincial Assembly KP. PM also gave away need cum merit based Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships to female students of University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar. It was followed by distribution of Kafaalat cheques among Ehsaas beneficiary women who had recently been enrolled through the Ehsaas survey. Later, PM also met with parents and children enrolled in Ehsaas School Stipends.

Dec 8, 2021 – Peshawar: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired a meeting together with Chief Secretary KP, Dr. Shahbaz Khan Bangash at the Chief Secretary Office in Peshawar. Deputy Commissioners of all districts in KP joined the meeting. To facilitate the enrollment of families and Kiryana merchants under Ehsaas Rashan Registration drive, the meeting thoroughly discussed engagement plan for district administrations. Dr. Sania urged the DCs to create awareness about the Ehsaas Rashan registration among the poor and Kiryana merchants. Chief Secretary KP and all DCs assured full support and cooperation in the registration and execution of Ehsaas Rashan programme.

Dec 8, 2021 – Manila: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $603 million results-based lending program to strengthen and expand social protection programs in Pakistan. Using conditional cash transfers, the program will support the implementation of Ehsaas, Pakistan’s national social protection and poverty reduction strategy. The program marks a significant shift in ADB’s strategic engagement in the social protection space in Pakistan in line with Ehsaas priorities,” said ADB Director General for Central and West Asia Yevgeniy Zhukov. The program supports the Ehsaas goal of expanding cash transfers to improve access to primary and secondary education up to grade 10 for children and adolescents of poor families, especially girls, and enhancing health services and nutrition for women, adolescent girls, and poor children. “ADB is a trusted and longstanding partner. This program is the result of years of engagement with ADB and other partners and focuses on areas where we believe the bank can have most impact. It is a key priority under the government’s Ehsaas strategy,” said Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM.

Dec 7, 2021 – Islamabad: British High Commissioner to Pakistan, H.E. Christian Turner called on Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM at Ehsaas Offices. The meeting discussed prospective collaborations under Ehsaas. Additional Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division Captain (Retd) Saeed Ahmad Nawaz, DG Khalid Siddique, DG Noor Rehman, senior officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and others also joined the meeting.

Dec 7, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM was invited to keynote the inaugural session of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Bilateral Dialogue on “Women for Peace Initiative – Road to an inclusive future” organized by a local think tank, the Regional Peace Institute (RPI) in Islamabad. Dr. Sania was joined by SAPM Raoof Hasan, who is also the CEO of RPI, H.E. Per Albert Ilsaas, Ambassador of Norway, Sharmeela Rassool, UN Women Country Representative for Pakistan and distinguished women delegates from Afghanistan. Keynoting the session, Dr. Sania welcomed distinguished women delegates from Afghanistan and stressed on the importance of socio-economic mainstreaming women in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Reiterating Pakistan’s resolve to empower underprivileged women, she stated, “More than three-quarters of the entire Ehsaas’ benefits go to women and girls under the Ehsaas 50%+ benefits policy for women and girls. Also, gender data disaggregation and its use for accountability is cardinal to the programme review, monitoring and reporting.” She further highlighted that all the twelve million beneficiaries of the Ehsaas cash this year are women. The distinguished women delegates of Afghanistan affirmed to cooperate on various aspects of common aspirations in poverty reduction and women empowerment. The two-day dialogue included working sessions around education for women, governance and development, and legislative processes and procedures.

Dec 6, 2021 – Islamabad: President Dr. Arif Alvi was the chief guest at the twenty fourth Sustainable Development Conference hosted by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI). The overarching theme of the conference was ‘Beyond the Pandemic: Leaving No One Behind’. Addressing the conference, President said, “Digitalization of the economy is essential to empower women and bring other deprived segments into the mainstream.” Speaking on the occasion, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM said that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the world that health was a national security issue and shifted people towards digitalization. She further added that the government had been prioritizing digitalization even before the pandemic had surfaced as it had launched 20 programs under Ehsaas. “Pakistan is the first country that is paying higher stipend to girls for their enrolment in schools,” she said. SDPI Executive Director Abid Qaiyum Suleri appreciated the timely steps taken by the government to contain the pandemic and commodities prices which saved people from food scarcity. The Sustainable Development Conference was a reflection on the two years since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dec 2, 2021: Pakistan has recently introduced a targeted food subsidy programme, “Ehsaas Rashan Riayat” to compensate for prices increases in the food items which would affect the poor. To learn from the experiences of other countries, an international consultative clinic on food subsidy reforms was convened by the World Bank to inform the design of Pakistan’s targeted commodity subsidies reform. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the event. Speakers and experts from Washington, Cairo, Jakarta, Islamabad and Karachi joined the clinic. At the event, Dr. Sania was joined by Stefano Paternostro, Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs Global Practice, South Asia Region, the World Bank; Ugo Gentilini, Global Lead, Social Assistance, Global Practice, World Bank; Dr. Ibtissam El-Gaafarawi, Advisor to the Minister of Supply and Internal Trade Minister and Professor at the National Center for Social and Criminological Research, Egypt; and Dr. Elan Satriawan, Chief of Policy Working Group in TNP2K, Indonesia. Participants appreciated Pakistan’s digitally driven Ehsaas Rashan programme that is meant to grant a subsidy of Rs. 1,000 a month to Rs. 20 million low-income families on the purchase of certain food items including flour, cooking oil/ghee and pulses.

Islamabad – Dec 1, 2021: Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired Ehsaas Rashan Riayat meeting to review progress on Ehsaas Rashan Registration and execution. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed the PM on the steps being taken to enroll families and Kiryana shopkeepers under the programme. Prime Minister said, “Government is taking all possible measures to provide maximum relief to a common man.” Briefing the PM on the ongoing Ehsaas Rashan registration, Dr. Sania said, “Since the Ehsaas Rashan Registration web-portal opened on Nov 9, 2021, the portal received as many as 489.96 million visits. Over 6.83 million families have been registered through 8171 service and Ehsaas Rashan web-portal, so far. Likewise, 33,178 Kiryana shopkeepers have been registered nationwide under Ehsaas Rashan and registration of 50,562 shopkeepers is currently in process on the portal.” PM directed participating provinces, district governments and other concerned authorities to expedite the Rashan registration process to benefit maximum number of poor families in the country. Chief Minister Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar; Chief Minister KP, Mahmood Khan; Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Khalid Khurshid; Advisor on Finance Shaukat Tarin; SAPM on Political Communication, Dr. Shehbaz Gill; Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Niazi; President NBP, Arif Usmani and other senior officers also attended the meeting.

Dec 1, 2021- Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM was invited to chair the session at high-level national learning event, “Pakistan’s COVID Response: Lessons for Improving Governance”. The learning event was cohosted by Oxford Policy Management, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), and Sub-National Governance (SNG). At the event, Dr. Sania chaired the session themed, “COVID-19 and Social Protection Challenge”. Other speakers and panelists included Dr. Sohail Anwar, Social Protection Adviser, SNG; Secretary Ismat Tahira; Amjad Saqib, CEO, Akhuwat Foundation; and Mazhar Siraj, Senior SD Adviser, FCDO. The event was held as part of the learning agenda under the Pakistan Sub-National Governance (SNG) programme. SNG is a technical assistance programme running from 2020 to 2023, implemented by Oxford Policy Management (OPM) and funded by UKAID. 

Nov 29, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM has announced an extension in the last date to submit scholarship applications for the year 2021 till Dec 31, 2021. Earlier, Nov 30, 2021 was the last date for the online submission of applications. Given the delays in admission process at several public sector universities in the country, the last date for Ehsaas scholarship applications has been extended to enable maximum number of deserving students to apply for this opportunity. Since the reopening of portal in the last week of Sep 2021, as many as 77,210 applications have been submitted and 23,740 application cases are in process of submission. 135 public sector universities recognized by Higher Education Commission are part of this programme. Students enrolled in 4 to 5-year undergraduate programmes of public sector universities are eligible to submit applications for the year 2021. Eligible students can apply through an online portal: https://ehsaas.hec.gov.pk/.

Nov 29, 2021 – Islamabad: The 53rd board meeting of BISP took place at the BISP headquarters in Islamabad. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. The board took several important decisions regarding the conditional and unconditional cash transfer programmes of Ehsaas. Since Dec 2018, when Dr. Sania took over as a board chair, 24 BISP board meetings have been held and all board sub-committees are regularly meeting in line with the Ehsaas Governance and Integrity Policy. The board meeting was attended by Senior Joint Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Secretary BISP and senior officials from the Finance Division, Economic Affairs Division, NADRA and private sector. BISP is one of the 34 executing agencies of Ehsaas.

Nov 26, 2021 – Peshawar: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM went to Peshawar to brief KP Parliamentarians on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Registration. The meeting took place at KP Assembly Secretariat. Speaker KP, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Deputy Speaker KP, Mehmood Jan, Finance and Health Minister KP, Taimur Saleem Jhagra and senior officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) were also present in the briefing. Speaking to Provincial Parliamentarians, Dr. Sania urged them to support Ehsaas in registering Kiryana shops and deserving families provincewide. She comprehensively explained the registration and operational modalities of the Rashan programme. Dr. Sania also thanked the KP Government for their participation in the programme. Like other participating provinces, Ehsaas and KP are sharing the cost in the proportion of 35:65. Parliamentarians lauded the transparency measures hardwired in the programme and ensured full cooperation to create awareness on the execution of programme.

Nov 26, 2021 – Islamabad: The NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) hosted Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, to deliver a talk on “Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment through Ehsaas Programme” at the university’s main campus. Dr. Sania, who is also a distinguished member of NIPS Advisory Council, expounded the theory of change behind the Ehsaas programme that incorporate an all-encompassing approach towards capacity building of millions of underprivileged households. She elaborated that the Ehsaas programme is fully aligned with Prime Minister’s vision of a welfare state, adding 142,000 scholarships were awarded to students in two years across Pakistan. Earlier in his welcome remarks, Engr Javed Mahmood Bukhari, Rector NUST and Patron NIPS, stated that Ehsaas is, by far, one of the most comprehensive poverty alleviation and social safety programmes, comprising multiple initiatives. Later, Dr. Sania interacted with awardees of Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship at NUST. Currently, 600 recipients of Ehsaas Scholarship are studying in NUST.

Nov 25, 2021 – Lahore: To create awareness on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat registration, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar visited Lahore. The visit was part of Ehsaas Rashan 30 City Tour. 25 cities have been covered, so far. Making an appeal to enroll more and more deserving families and Kiryana shopkeepers for Ehsaas Rashan, Dr. Sania sat with local media and Parliamentarians of Punjab in Lahore. She was also joined by Arif Usmani, President, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari, Minister for Social Welfare and Bait ul Maal Punjab, senior officials of NBP and Ehsaas. Dr. Sania also called on Chief Minister Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar. The meeting discussed federal-provincial collaborations under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. Later, Dr. Sania convened a press conference on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat at 90, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Special Initiatives, Hasaan Khawar; Minister for Social Welfare and Bait- ul-Maal Punjab, Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari; and President NBP, Arif Usmani were also present. The visit concluded with the visit to a local Kiryana store in Shadman market to register it under the Ehsaas Rashan programme.

Nov 24, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM together with President National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Arif Usmani visited a local Kiryana shop in Taramri, Islamabad. The visit aimed to raise awareness among the Kiryana shopkeepers to register their shops under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. Dr. Sania also explained that the authorized Kiryana shopkeepers will deliver the subsidy to eligible families through mobile point of sale (mPOS) app. Later, she held a press conference on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat at NBP Regional Headquarters in Islamabad. At the press conference, she was joined by President NBP, print and electronic media and All Pakistan Traders’ Association. Press Conference can be watched here.

Nov 22, 2021 – Islamabad: Easing out the registration process, Ehsaas has opened 8171 service for enrollment of families under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. To educate masses about the registration process, Dr. Sania Nishtar has released an instructional video. “Families earning less than Rs. 50,000 a month can register themselves under the Rashan programme of Ehsaas. Only one member of an applicant family whose cell number is issued on his personal Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) can enroll his family either through 8171 SMS service or the web-portal. For registration through 8171, the same member of a family can SMS his/her CNIC number to 8171”, said Dr. Sania in a video. Kiryana shopkeepers can only register through the web-portal: https://ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk/. Based on insights from Dr. Sania’s field visits to 24 small cities, Ehsaas has opened the 8171 SMS service to facilitate the enrollment of deserving families with limited or no access to internet.

Nov 18, 2021 – Dera Ismail Khan: On the third leg of Ehsaas Rashan Tour to 30 cities, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM covered 10 small cities and towns around Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali and Dera Ismail Khan. Last weekend, she visited 14 small cities and towns along the G.T. Road from Jhelum to Peshawar. During the visit to Fateh Jhang, Talagang, Lawa, Moosa Khel, Purani Kiri, Mianwali, Kundiyan, Saidaliyan, Rangpur Adda and Dera Ismail Khan, Dr. Sania was joined by senior officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Ehsaas and district administrations. Speaking to retailers, trader associations, and public in each of the small cities and towns, Dr. Sania guided them that Kiryana owners from all over the country can register themselves exclusively via online Rashan portal: ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk that is open for registration till next two weeks. Dr. Sania also convened two press conferences on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat with the local press and electronic media in Mianwali and Dera Ismail Khan. In the press conference held at Dera Ismail Khan, she was also joined by Ali Amin Gandapur, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Nov 17, 2021 – Islamabad: Alternate US Executive Director to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), John Hurley visited Ehsaas. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM and Secretary Ismat Tahira briefed him on over 288 social protection programmes, initiatives, and policy reforms under Ehsaas. Hurley appreciated Ehsaas for touching the lives of almost half the country’s population during COVID-19 crises. He also commended the governance and integrity reforms of Ehsaas to ensure transparent operations. Hurley also reassured the ADB’s commitment to support Government of Pakistan for further strengthening and upscaling of myriad Ehsaas’ operations nationwide. Earlier this week, Hurley went to Peshawar and Taxila to witness Ehsaas registration desks, Ehsaas Cash payments and others. He expressed satisfaction over the transparent enrollment and delivery mechanisms of Ehsaas. Along with Hurley, Country Director ADB Pakistan, Yong Yi, Asad Aleem, Principal Energy Specialist, Omer Bin Zia, Senior Economic Officer, ADP Pakistan. From Ehsaas’ side, DG Noor Rehman, DG Naveed Akbar, DG Tariq Mehmood and DG Meer Anwar were also present in the meeting.

Nov 16, 2021 – Islamabad: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Nong Rong called on Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM to explore avenues of collaboration in poverty alleviation. On the Cooperation for Poverty Alleviation in the field of commerce, the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) of the Government of Pakistan and Ministry of Commerce of China are entering a memorandum of understanding (MoU).The MoU has been approved by the Federal Cabinet on October 27, 2021 and will be inked soon between China and Pakistan. The meeting discussed the implementation arrangements of the MOU. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners. Under the MOU, both the countries will enhance cooperation and exchange of experience, especially in the context of poverty reduction, through leveraging potential for commerce. The Chinese side is led by Ministry of Commerce and Pakistan’s side by PASSD.

Nov 16, 2021 – Dubai: Dr. Sania Nishtar keynoted a seminar on Financial Inclusion hosted by the Bank of Punjab at Dubai Expo 2020. In the flagship talk of the session, Dr. Sania enlightened the audience on government’s priorities to lift people out of poverty towards sustainable livelihoods through access to financial inclusion, literacy and economic empowerment. The session also highlighted the progress made on the rigorous mechanism of measuring social indicators by Ehsaas programme. Other panelists included Beenish Fatima Sahi, CEO, Punjab Social Protection Authority; Noman Ghani, Social Policy Head, UNICEF Pakistan; Sohail Saeed Abbasi, Senior Social Protection Specialist, the World Bank; Syed Muhammad Mustafa, Technical Advisor on Social Protection, GIZ; and Zahid Mustafa – Group Chief Consumer & Digital Banking Group, the Bank of Punjab.

Nov 15, 2021: Dr. Sania attended the SUN Lead Group meeting in her capacity as a member of the group. The meeting discussed mutual accountability and success indicators for SUN Movement. The Lead Group has the overall responsibility for the Movement’s progress towards achieving its objectives. Other members who attended the meeting included Akinwunmi Ayodeji Adesina, President, African Development Bank; Reem Ebrahim Al-Hashimy, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for International Cooperation, United Arab Emirates; Inger Ashing, CEO, Save the Children International; Cherrie Atilano Founder and CEO, Agrea Agricultural Systems International Inc.; Alicia Barcena Ibara, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; David Beasley, Executive Director, World Food Programme; Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Defense and Foreign Affairs, Fiji; Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission; Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency; Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission; and Gerda Verburg, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the SUN Movement.

Nov 14, 2021 – Peshawar: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM along with Ehsaas and NBP teams, completed the second leg of the 30 cities tour that kicked off yesterday. On the way from Islamabad to Peshawar, Dr. Sania visited Wah, Hassan Abdal, Kamra, Jehangira, Akora Khattak, Nowshera City, Pabbi and Peshawar. She interacted with several retailers, local trader associations, district administrations, press and electronic media alongside the G.T. Road. Yesterday, she visited six small towns in Rawalpindi and Jhelum including Rawat, Mandra, Gujjar Khan, Sohawa, Dina and Jhelum. So far, 14 small cities and towns have been covered over this weekend. “These visits are part of the nationwide awareness drive of Ehsaas to educate people, Kiryana merchants and other local stakeholders about the recently launched Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme”, said Dr. Sania. Interacting with retailers, Dr. Sania herself explained the registration process for the Ehsaas Rashan along with operational modalities of the Ehsaas Rashan’s mobile point of Sale app that will be used to deliver subsidy on selected commodities.

Nov 13, 2021 – Islamabad: Creating awareness among masses on Ehsaas Rashan programme, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM visited six small cities and towns along the G. T. Road. She went to Rawat, Mandra, Gujjar Khan, Sohawa, Dina and Jhelum. The visit aimed to guide Kiryana merchants in small areas about the Ehsaas Rashan enrollment process and the programme modalities. “This week, I shall visit 30 small cities to speak to Kiryana retailers and public. This is important to guide people on the ground about the new programme, encourage them to participate in the programme and factor in their voices in the delivery”, commented Dr. Sania. During the visit, Dr. Sania walked in the mini markets on the G. T. Road and met with the Kiryana merchants, local trader associations and public. She herself enrolled several Kiryana owners on the portal at various sites. Dr. Sania was accompanied by senior officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Ehsaas and district administrations of Rawalpindi and Jhelum. She also spoke to local trader associations and youth in the rural suburbs of Rawalpindi and Jhelum and made an appeal to them to help Kiryana merchants and low-income families in online registration.

Nov 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM convened a meeting on cyber security and measures to combat fraud and disinformation through cell phone SMS’, websites and apps using the name of Ehsaas. The meeting brought together senior officials and representatives from Law Division, security agencies, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and cellular mobile operators on the table. Chairman PTA, Maj Gen (Rtd) Amir Azeem Bajwa along with senior officials of Ehsaas including Secretary Ismat Tahira and DG Technology Mir Anwar were also present in the meeting. Bringing rich perspectives to the table, participants discussed the issues of fake websites, fake SMS, fake Whatsapp messages, fake apps, collecting information and defrauding innocent people using the name of Ehsaas. “To ensure zero tolerance towards digital and cyber frauds, Ehsaas will work together with all stakeholders”, vowed Dr. Sania. She constituted a joint working group with senior officials and representatives from Ehsaas Technology team, PTA and Security Agencies.

Nov 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM along with the World Bank delegation visited ‘One Window Ehsaas Centre’ in Sitara Market, Islamabad. The delegation comprised of Stefano Paternostro, Practice Manager, Social Protection and Jobs, South Asia Region; Amjad Zafar, Task Team Leader; Lire Ersado, Program Lead for Human Development; and Gul Najam Jami, Senior Social Protection Specialist. From Ehsaas, DG Naveed Akbar and other senior officials were also present. The delegation was briefed on the ‘One Stop Shop’ operations of Ehsaas which integrate all benefits and services for different target groups in one space. They were also apprised that ‘One Window Centers’ will be expanded to all districts nationwide to enable delivery of the multiple Ehsaas programmes in one space. The delegation Ehsaas took stock of the wide ranging ‘One Window Ehsaas’ services and also met with beneficiaries being served.

Nov 11, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM called on Governor Balochistan, Syed Zahoor Ahmed Agha in Islamabad. The meeting discussed Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme that was launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Nov 3, 2021. Under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat, a targeted subsidy of Rs. 1,000 a month will be granted to each to each of the 20 million eligible families on the purchase of flour, pulses, cooking oil. In total, 20 million deserving families will be identified through the Ehsaas survey. In the current fiscal year, the budget of the programme for the next six months is Rs. 120 billion under the federal-provincial cost sharing arrangement. Provincial Governments of Punjab, KP, Gilgit Baltistan and AJK are already participating in the programme. The federal government and all participating federating units will share fiscal resources in the proportion of 35/65.

Nov 10, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania released an instructional video on the modalities of recently launched Ehsaas Rashan programme. The video guides deserving families and Kiryana merchants, step by step, about the programme execution, registration process, eligibility criteria Beneficiaries will be identified through the Ehsaas survey. Low-income families will register on the portal with their Computerized National Identity Card Number (CNIC) and a mobile number issued on that CNIC. Only one family member will be eligible for enrollment on the portal. Kiryana merchants can also register themselves on the Ehsaas Rashan portal. It is necessary for the Karyana merchants to have a valid bank account. Kiryana merchants without bank accounts can open their bank accounts in the nearest branches of National Bank of Pakistan. The authorized Kiryana merchants having bank accounts will download ‘mobile Point of Sale’ (mPOS) application in their cell phones to ascertain the eligibility of the eligible buyers, click on the icons of essential commodities, and pass on the subsidy. Full video can be watched here.

Nov 9, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation and Dr. Faisal Sultan, SAPM on National Health Services co-chaired a meeting to review the Ehsaas Catastrophic Health Expenditure Policy which is on the anvil. The policy will dovetail Ehsaas Tahafuz programme with the Sehat Sahulat programme of the government. Barrister Nabeel Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services; Niaz Muhammad Khan, Senior Joint Secretary, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD); Muhammad Arshad, CEO Sehat Sahulat programme; Rashid Shafiq, Director General, Ehsaas Tahafuz programme; and other senior officials of Ehsaas also joined the meeting. The meeting took place at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Under Ehsaas Tahafuz, the patients facing catastrophic health expenditures will be identified, who will then be assessed by the digital system, and if eligible, will be granted funding. In this fiscal year, Ehsaas Tahafuz is being upscaled across 14 public sector hospitals of the country. Currently, Ehsaas Tahafuz is fully operational in one hospital of Rawalpindi.

Nov 4, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM addressed a press conference to give details of the Ehsaas Ration programme announced by Prime Minister on Nov 3, 2021. She said that registration of poor families whose monthly income was less than Rs. 31,000 would begin from Nov 8, 2021. A web portal would be opened for this purpose. Eligible families will be able to buy flour, cooking oil/ghee and pulses at subsidized rates from Kiryana and Utility stores. Small retail stores opened even in streets and localities will also provide this facility. Further, Dr. Sania added that the Ehsaas National Socioeconomic Registry survey has recently been completed. The survey will be used to identify deserving families for this new pro-poor programme. It will take four weeks to complete the process of registration. The beneficiaries will need a mobile phone number registered on their Computerised National Identity Card which will be produced before the specific stores from which purchases on subsidized rates will be sought. A subsidy of Rs. 1,000 per month will be given to each of the eligible 20 million families. Full footage can be accessed here.

Nov 3, 2021 – Islamabad: In view of the recent price hike, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the Ehsaas Rashan programme to provide relief to the poor in his televised speech. As many as 20 million families identified through the recently completed Ehsaas survey will benefit from the programme. Overall, 130 million people will benefit nationwide which is 53% of the population. Yesterday, the federal cabinet gave approval to launch the programme across Pakistan. Although the domestic increases are being driven by rising prices in the international market, inflationary control remains an important policy objective for the government. Ehsaas Rashan will provide a subsidy of Rs. 1,000 a month to each of the 20 million families on the purchase of flour, pulses, Ghee/Cooking oil. A 30% subsidy will be given on these three items, per unit purchase. The programme has been designed as a precision-target system of subsidy delivery focusing on deserving beneficiaries to provide financial assistance for the purchase of essential commodities at a discount through digitally processed transactions. “Ehsaas and the National Bank of Pakistan have developed a technology-led, targeted subsidy disbursal programme. This system will digitize parts of the retail sector; there will be use of real time data for decision making”, said Dr. Sania Nishtar. Under the federal-provincial cost sharing arrangement, the budget of the programme for the next six months is Rs. 120 billion in this fiscal year.

Nov 1, 2021 – Harnai: Ehsaas relief cash disbursements have begun to all families of earthquake hit Harnai, as an immediate relief. After the Prime Minister’s approval on Oct 9, 2021, the federal government had announced a relief package for all families of Harnai. Dr. Sania Nishtar said, “The Rs. 12,000 Ehsaas cash will be disbursed to each household of Harnai. Around 18,000 households in Harnai will benefit from relief cash.” She also thanked the provincial government of Balochistan, armed forces, Ehsaas’ regional team and other stakeholders for their collaborative support in ensuring smooth delivery of Ehsaas relief cash. Disbursements have begun simultaneously across all three Tehsils; Sharag, Harnai and Khost. Districtwide, seven Ehsaas payment campsites have been set up at Civil Hospital Sharag, Municipal Committee office, Civil Hospital, RHC Hospital Sharag, PMDC Rest House Sharag, Livestock Office Harnai and Civil Hospital Khost.

Nov 1, 2021 – Islamabad: Chairing a high-level meeting, Prime Minister approved the proposal of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) for the upgradation of model Panagahs into centres of excellence. Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed him on the upgradation plan. Special arrangements are being made under Ehsaas to improve living standards of model Panagahs, especially in the winter season. PM also reviewed the progress on the contours of the forthcoming “Ehsaas Targeted Commodity Subsidies” for the poor. The meeting was also attended by Advisor Finance Shaukat Tarin, Secretary PASSD Muhammad Ali Shahzada, MD Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, and PM’s Focal Person on Panagahs Naseem-ur- Rehman.

Oct 30, 2021 – Peshawar: Dr. Sania Nishtar paid a surprise visit to Ehsaas Langar at Old Haji Camp bus terminal. During the visit, she spoke to labourers being served food and enquired about the quality of service. She also listened to concerns of labourers and assured them full cooperation. People appreciated the ethos of Ehsaas Langar, food quality, and the degree of respect with which they are served food. Ehsaas Langar in Peshawar serves cooked food twice daily to around 1,200 people. To-date, 34 Ehsaas Langars have been established all over the country.

Oct 29, 2021 – Islamabad: The steering committee of Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidies met to approve the programme design. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. This was the second meeting of the steering committee since its constitution by the Prime Minister in July 2021. “Coming under the Ehsaas umbrella, the national scale targeted subsidies programme will identify beneficiaries through the Ehsaas national socioeconomic survey registry 2021. All the necessary spadework, digital structuring and integrations are complete for the roll out of the programme”, said Dr. Sania. “The number of people to be supported and the exact details of the amount of subsidy will be announced by the PM next week”, she further added. The members of the committee thoroughly reviewed the design contours and roll out preparations for the upcoming programme.

Oct 27, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting to review preparations for the upcoming Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidies program. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed Prime Minister on the overall progress. Ehsaas eligible families will get subsidy on grocery store purchases through this program. To roll out the program, a mobile point-of-sale system has been built in collaboration with the National Bank of Pakistan. The program will save the poor from the effects of inflation. PM directed to ensure early its completion and create awareness among the people so that maximum people can benefit from the targeted subsidies. Finance Minister, Shaukat Tarin also joined the meeting.

Oct 23, 2021- Lahore: Early morning, Dr. Sania Nishtar made a surprise visit to Ehsaas Registration Desks in Lahore. She reviewed operations of registration desks at Government Boys School, Walton Road. At the center, Dr. Sania stood with the applicant women in the queue, took round of the facility and interacted with women and staff to enquire about the registration process and arrangements. She also instructed the concerned officials to facilitate the women in registration process so that they do not have to wait for long time. Speaking to media, Dr. Sania stated, “With the recent completion of Ehsaas national survey registry, 512 Ehsaas Registration Desks are operational at Tehsil level all over the country. The purpose is that households whose survey has not been conducted for any reason can self-register themselves in the Ehsaas programme.”

Oct 20, 2021 – Berlin: Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to join the panel discussion at the Humanitarian Congress Berlin ‘Aspiring towards global justice – a humanitarian imperative?’ The panel discussion was held on, “The Universal Right to Social Protection” by 2030? How responses to COVID-19 reveal potential humanitarian pathways to support national social systems in managing climate risks”. Other eminent panelists included Valentina Barca, Team Leader Social Protection Approaches to COVID-19 SPACE; and Ralf Rademacher, Head of the Global Programme “Social Protection Innovation and Learning” GIZ. Panelists shared their experience, knowledge, and ideas of humanitarian action in an international and multi-disciplinary setting. The Humanitarian Congress brought together leading experts from medical and humanitarian organizations, governments, and the media, as well as young professionals interested in humanitarian work. For more than 20 years, the Humanitarian Congress Berlin has been debating, analyzing, evaluation and developing the theory and practice of humanitarian action.

Oct 20, 2021: Dr. Sania Nishtar spoke at the World Bank Group’s Human Capital Ministerial Conclave held during the 2021 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings. The World Bank Group President, David Malpass opened the Conclave. Ministers of Finance and Planning from over 80 Human Capital project countries, key development partners, other high-level officials, and the World Bank’s senior leadership attended the event. The 2021 Conclave on “Arresting Human Capital Losses due to COVID-19: Reimagining Service Delivery in a Digital Age”, focused on how countries can make the most of the Digital age, making smart investment decisions around technology and innovations for services that better protect, build and utilize human capital. Taking the rostrum, Dr. Sania highlighted the experience of Pakistan in executing the Ehsaas Emergency Cash (EEC) programme using data and digital technology during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She also motivated other countries to invest more in technology and data to improve delivery of human capital services.

Oct 20, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM briefed Prime Minister Imran Khan on the Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidies programme. PM was given a detailed briefing on the preparations for the upcoming programme. The Ehsaas targeted subsidies programme is on the anvil to save the underprivileged from inflation. The meeting was told that a mobile point-of-sale system has been developed for the programme in collaboration with Ehsaas and the National Bank of Pakistan. Ehsaas eligible families will receive discounts on grocery store purchases on specific items through this programme. PM directed to finalize the targeted subsidy programme soon. The briefing was attended by Finance Minister, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Finance Minister Punjab, Finance Minister KP, President National Bank, chief secretaries of Punjab and KP and other senior officials. Finance Minister also attended the meeting via video link.

Oct 19, 2021: Dr. Sania Nishtar keynoted the 2021 Global Rural Development Forum held in China under the theme of “Global Sustainable Development Cooperation: Poverty Reduction and Rural Development”. The forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Rural Revitalization Administration and organized by the International Poverty Reduction Center in China. The forum fully demonstrated and shared China’s great achievements and experience in poverty alleviation. The event brought together Minister of Rural Development of Cambodia; Union Minister of Cooperative and Rural Development of Myanmar; Secretary-General of National Anti-poverty Commission of the Philippines; Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Laos; Undersecretary of Productive Inclusion and Rural Development, Ministry of Welfare of Mexico; and Minister of Social Integration and Social Security of Mauritius. Dr. Sania congratulated the Government of China, its people, and the Communist Party of China for achieving the MDG of poverty eradication, well ahead of time. “Poverty alleviation, particularly social protection is the priority of our government. We realize that in Pakistan’s agri-based economy, tackling agriculture is fundamental to poverty reduction since the sector employs 45% of labour force. Ehsaas has 19 social protection programmes for 14 vulnerable groups, and it is closely linked to agriculture and rural economy.”, said Dr. Sania.

Oct 17, 2021 – Islamabad: On the World Poverty Day, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM launched ‘National Data Exchange Platform’ (NDEP) for the Ehsaas’ National Socioeconomic Registry 2021 which is one of the six main pillars of One Window Ehsaas. With the Ehsaas National Socioeconomic Registry 2021 survey that stands almost complete, NDEP will facilitate data sharing and data access services for all executing agencies stewarded by Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division. Speaking to press media about the launch of NDEP, Dr. Sania said, “Ehsaas NDEP will be a gamechanger in transforming social protection and poverty reduction programs in the country. Through Ehsaas NDEP, the executing agencies in ecosystem of Ehsaas will be able to see what benefits an individual or a household is getting by simply punching in the CNIC number of an individual.” She also congratulated the teams working on the national socioeconomic survey and technology.

Oct 17, 2021 – Islamabad: On the World Poverty Day, Dr. Sania Nishtar released a video on the social protection and poverty reduction initiatives of Ehsaas. The video illustrates how Ehsaas is transforming the lives of the poorest populations through its over 290 programmes, initiatives and policy actions: Ehsaas Kafaalat, Ehsaas Emergency Cash, Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships, Ehsaas Interest Free Loans, Ehsaas Amdan, Ehsaas Education Stipends and Ehsaas Rehri Baan etc. “To-date, Ehsaas has touched the lives of almost half the country’s population. This year, Ehsaas cash is being delivered to 12 million families”, said Dr. Sania. According to the video message, preparations are also underway to upscale Ehsaas Tahafuz, Ehsaas Nashonuma and One Window Ehsaas operations across all districts of the country in the current fiscal year. Full video message can be watched here.

Oct 15, 2021 – Islamabad: On ‘International day of rural women’, Dr. Sania Nishtar released an official statement. Paying tribute to rural women of Pakistan, she stated, “Rural women play an important role in reducing rural poverty. More than three-quarters of the entire Ehsaas’ benefits go to most of rural women and girls under the ‘Ehsaas 50%+ benefits policy’. ‘Mazdoor Ka Ehsaas Report’ released on May 1, 2021 also strongly recognizes the work of rural women and home-based workers all over the country.” She further added, “National Poverty Graduation Initiative of Ehsaas aims to graduate poorest households particularly rural women out of poverty and set them on a course of economic and social prosperity. Out of 1.4 million Ehsaas interest free loans disbursed so far, 46% went to rural women across 110 districts. Enabling 1.4 million individuals to come out of shackles of poverty, 60% of small livelihood assets have been allocated for rural women under the 4-year Ehsaas Amdan programme. This programme is operational in in 388 rural union councils of 23 poorest districts across the four provinces. Ehsaas Amdan assets include livestock, agricultural inputs, body of auto rickshaws, agriculture tools, and inputs for small retail enterprises.”

Oct 14, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed Chief Secretary KP, Dr. Kazim Niaz herself about the One Window operations of Ehsaas at “One Window Ehsaas Center” in Sitara Market of Islamabad. The visit was part of collaborations underway between Ehsaas and the government of KP to establish One Window Ehsaas Centers across all districts of KP. Chief Secretary KP was briefed on the One Stop Shop operations of Ehsaas which integrate all benefits and services for 14 different target groups in one space. “To assist Ehsaas beneficiaries, One Window Ehsaas operations are being upscaled across all districts of KP”, said Dr. Sania. “The integration of all Ehsaas benefits and services under one roof is commendable. KP Government will extend full support to Ehsaas for establishing One Window Ehsaas Centers in all districts of the province”, assured Dr. Kazim Niaz. CS was also given a round of the different offices, outlets, and desks at the Ehsaas Center whereby he witnessed all one window operations and met with Ehsaas team and beneficiaries.

Oct 13, 2021 – Islamabad: Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA), Centre for Education and Consciousness, launched The Girls Education & Enterprise Alliance (GEEA) to empower girls and young women in Pakistan with the support of national and global champions of Girls’ Education. Dr. Sania Nishtar was a chief guest on the occasion. The purpose of this gathering was to bring together parliamentarians, government, development partners, education experts and civil society advocates on one platform to pledge for SMART programs for out-of-school girls. Keynoting the event, Dr. Sania remarked, “Our government is fully conscious that an educated girl can contribute more effectively to society. Ehsaas’ conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes providing cash stipends for education and nutrition are purposely skewed in favour of girls to safeguard gender equity”. Besides, Aida Girma, Country Representative, UNICEF; Javed Ahmed Malik, Programme Director, Malala Fund; Mosharraf Zaidi, CEO, Tabadlab; Amna Khalid, FCDO; Alima Bibi, UNESCO; Nazia Sehar, JICA; Fahad Hussain, Dawn News; Waseem Ajmal, Ministry of Federal Education & Professional Training; Shabnam Sarfaraz, Ministry of Planning & Development; and Syed Shahnawaz, Country Director Oxfam were also present at the launch.

Oct 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the 53rd meeting of the BISP board. The board approved ‘Bell Curve Concept’ for the performance management of employees. The board also approved the national scaleup of Ehsaas Nashonuma and new organogram of BISP to improve organization’s effectiveness. The existing Performance Management System (PMS) at BISP is similar to the methodology used by Government of Pakistan (the ACR/PER system). “Since the current PMS is not compatible with the modern PMS being used by progressive organizations, the board has approved new PMS Principles based on ‘Bell Curve Concept’, essential to leverage optimum performance from employees. The newly approved concept will be implemented by July 2022”, said Dr. Sania. The new PMS will access the relative performance of employee based on goal setting sheets and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) developed for benchmark positions.

Oct 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a meeting to review the progress regarding Health, Ehsaas and Kissan cards. Besides Special Assistants to the PM, Dr. Sania Nishtar, Dr. Faisal Sultan, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and other relevant officers, the meeting was attended via video link by the Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of Punjab and KP. Prime Minister said that Health, Ehsaas and Kissan cards are among the foremost priorities of the government. He directed for early execution of Health, Ehsaas and Kissan initiatives of the government. He further added that these initiatives would provide a big relief to the marginalized segments.

Oct 11, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar celebrated “International Day of the Girl Child” with young girls enrolled in Ehsaas Education Stipends. She also interacted with their mothers and took feedback on the education CCT programme. On the occasion, Dr. Sania also released an official statement. “I congratulate all women and girls in Pakistan and those around the world on, “International Day of the Girl Child” that is being commemorated under the theme, “Digital generation”. Development is simply not possible without women. This principle sits at the core of Ehsaas. We, therefore, have Ehsaas 50%+ benefits for women and girls’ policy. Any policy and programme under this framework must accrue at least half of the benefits to women; as a result, more than three quarters of Ehsaas’ entire program’s benefits are dedicated to women and girls. According to Ehsaas’ weighted-in-favour-of-girls stipends policy for all conditional cash transfer programmes, girls also get a higher stipend across all age groups”, said Dr. Sania.

October 10, 2021 – Kech: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM visited border areas in South Balochistan. Together with the Senior officers of Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps, she visited sub-Tehsil Balnigore and Tehil Tump of district Kech. The purpose of the visit was to create awareness on the programmes and initiatives of Ehsaas and get feedback of local communities and Ehsaas beneficiaries. She also visited various sites in the region to explore options for opening One Window Ehsaas Centers in Turbat and Mand. “In this fiscal year, One Window Ehsaas Centers will open in all districts of Balochistan. It is our top priority to open the one-stop-shop, One Window Ehsaas Centers in lagging districts of South Balochistan to facilitate beneficiaries at the earliest”, said Dr. Sania while speaking to press media. During the visit, she also interacted with local communities and took feedback on the Ehsaas’ running programmes in the area. The visit was organized by Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps across South Balochistan. The visit to South Balochistan followed the visit to Harnai. During her visit to Balochistan, Dr. Sania also met with Commander 12 Corps and IG Frontier Corps, South Balochistan.

Oct 9, 2021 – Harnai: On PM’s special directives, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM visited earthquake hit areas of Harnai today to assess the level of assistance needed from the federal government. Following the visit, she announced the federal government’s relief cash package for all families of Harnai, after the Prime Minister’s approval. “Social protection is critical to earthquake induced recovery. Federal government will give Rs. 12,000 cash subsistence to all families of Harnai as an immediate relief. Relief cash assistance will be mobilized under the Ehsaas programme. This relief assistance will be in addition to compensation being planned for affected households after detailed damage assessment”, said Dr. Sania while expressing solidarity with affectees. In Harnai, Dr. Sania was joined by Deputy Speaker National Assembly, Qasim Khan Suri, Chief Secretary Balochistan, Mathar Niaz Rana, Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, Commissioner Sibbi Division, Deputy Commissioner Harnai and senior officers of Ehsaas and Pakistan Army. She also reviewed arrangements being made to open Ehsaas Registration Desks at the Irrigation Department of Harnai. Earlier, Dr. Sania also visited District Hospital Harnai and met with those injured during the earthquake.

Oct 8, 2021 – Quetta: Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a meeting with Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners from all districts of Balochistan. The meeting reviewed measures being taken to open One Window Ehsaas Centers in Balochistan. Chief Secretary Balochistan, Mathar Niaz Rana hosted the meeting at Civil Secretariat Quetta. Provincial team of Ehsaas also joined the meeting. Creating awareness about Ehsaas programmes, Dr. Sania also guided the DCs about the Ehsaas Digital portal that provides people centered instructional information of Ehsaas in Urdu. She also briefed about the Ehsaas 8171 web-portal that is accessible online for public to check their eligibility under Ehsaas. The district administrations of Balochistan ensured full cooperation for the opening of one window Ehsaas Centers in all the districts of the province.

Oct 8, 2021 – Islamabad: In the recently released edition of UN Principles for Responsible Digital Payments 2021, Pakistan’s Ehsaas programme has been featured as an international best practice. According to UN’s report, Ehsaas simplified the know-your-customer procedure for users by collecting simple data fields and issuing accounts after basic verification. Incentivized 500,000 branchless banking agents to work with the program by reducing taxes on commission earned from beneficiaries, thereby increasing doorstep banking services to elderly, persons with disability, and women. Taking to twitter, Dr. Sania Nishtar said, “Glad to see Pakistan’s Ehsaas continue to be lauded as international best practice by the UN as it looks to accelerate Responsible Digital Payments to advance developmental progress.” The UN Principles for Responsible Digital Payments advocate for responsible practices in the digitization of payments. These principles have been developed by the United Nations-based Better Than Cash Alliance, guided by its member governments, companies and international organizations. Report can be accessed here.

Oct 6, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan was briefed about the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Ehsaas Targeted Commodity Subsidy programme. Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed the PM on the ‘Subsidy Point of Sale’ system for the Ehsaas Targeted Subsidy programme that has been developed in collaboration with National Bank of Pakistan. Prime Minister lauded the digital ecosystem being developed for Ehsaas targeted subsidy programme. He also lauded the special transparency measures being taken to ensure transfer of targeted subsidies solely to the deserving. PM directed to fast-track deployment of the ‘Subsidy Point of Sale’ system so that economic relief could be provided to the poor through targeted subsidies on essential food commodities. Under Ehsaas, commodity subsidies will be administered through Ehsaas database by a network of Kiryana stores. These targeted subsidies will be given on selected essential commodities. Finance Minister, Shaukat Tarin; Defence Minister, Pervaiz Khattak; Information Minister, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain; SAPM Dr. Shahbaz Gill; Governor State Bank, Dr. Reza Baqir; President National Bank, Arif Usmani; Secretary Muhammad Ali Shahzada; Secretary Ismat Tahira; Chief Digital Officer NBP, Humayun Sajjad; and other senior officials also joined the meeting.

October 6, 2021 – Islamabad: Today, the Ehsaas Nashonuma steering committee reviewed results of an independent evaluation conducted by the Aga Khan University. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the meeting. The purpose of the research conducted was to understand how Ehsaas Nashonuma had influenced the health and wellbeing of beneficiaries along with the enabling and impeding factors related to the uptake of Ehsaas Nashonuma, the process, outcomes, and the flow of operations. Results were highly encouraging; the findings were supportive of the program focus on marginalized women, their financial empowerment and improved dietary knowledge. 99.37% of beneficiary women reported satisfaction from Nashonuma services provided to them during their pregnancy as well as those extended to children for their growth and wellbeing. Speaking to the press, Dr. Sania said, “The program will be upscaled nationwide to all districts in this fiscal year.” The steering committee was attended by provincial representatives and members of the international development community. Ehsaas Nashonuma will also be integrated with all One Window Ehsaas Centers.

Oct 3, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM paid a surprise visit to Mandi More Panagah. She took round of the facility and interacted with staff on duty. During the visit, Dr. Sania was joined by Joint Secretary of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Ahmed Jan Malik. She also inspected the hygiene standards and quality of boarding and lodging facilities being provided at Panagah. Later, she also spoke to vendors in the adjacent market about the quality of Panagah services.

Oct 1, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister directed to ensure that special care facilities were being provided to needy people seeking refuge in Panagahs. The directive came during Panagah briefing with Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM. Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar; PM’s Focal Person for Panagahs, Naseem-ur-Rehman; and Additional Secretary, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Captain (Retd) Saeed Ahmed Nawaz also joined the meeting. Dr. Sania briefed the PM on details about the progress made so far on the new ‘Model Panagahs’. During the briefing, Prime Minister was told that while the formulation of a central advisory board for the shelter homes had been already completed, the formation of a four-member board for every Panagah was also underway. PM was given a rundown on the improvements and fresh measures were underway, including the installation of a digital monitoring system for every Panagah. Prime Minister while expressing his satisfaction over the progress of Panagahs directed to ensure their completion within the stipulated time.

Sep 30, 2021 – Kathmandu: Dr. Sania Nishtar keynoted the thematic session on “youth and informal sector” at the “South Asia Experts’ Summit: Dialogues on the Post-COVID-19 World of Work”. The summit was hosted by UNICEF. As part of the summit, the thematic session featured discussions on re-evaluating strategies and approaches to transitioning adolescents and young people to the formal sector; how actors and decision makers address exploitative labour practices such as child and forced labour in South Asia; and issues and solutions related to access of social protection and social dialogue for young workers; and the creation and promotion of decent work in the informal sector during COVID-19 and beyond. At the session, Dr. Sania was joined by Christoph Ernst, Senior Informal Employment Specialist, International Labour Organization; Tasmiah T. Rahman, Incharge, Skills Development Programme, BRAC, Bangladesh; Silvia Mera, Apparel Program Director, GoodWeave International, Amsterdam and several others.

Sep 30, 2021 – Islamabad: To receive fresh applications for the academic year 2021-22, the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship portal has been reopened. The scholarship portal will be opened online till Nov 30, 2021. Newly admitted students of Fall 2021 session under 4-5 year undergraduate degree programmes in any of the HEC recognized 135 public sector universities are eligible to apply, if their family income is less than Rs. 45,000 a month. This academic year, 50,000 merit cum need based scholarships will be provided to deserving students. Fifty percent Ehsaas scholarships are reserved for girls. “This 4-year programme is on track. In the last two years, over 142,000 scholarships have been awarded nationwide to students from low-income backgrounds”, said Dr. Sania. The eligible students can apply through the online portal: https://ehsaas.hec.gov.pk/.

Sep 29, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar joined UNICEF’s National Strategic Reflection meeting on the 2023-2027 UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation between Pakistan and UNICEF. The UN System in Pakistan, including UNCEF, is engaged in designing and developing a new development assistance framework, namely the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDC) 2023-2027. The meeting was designed to identify UNICEF’s strategic contribution to government’s priorities. Strategic reflections were shared on the progress, challenges and opportunities in the situational and programme environment along with those on the long and successful partnership of One UN in Pakistan. At the meeting, Dr. Sania was joined by Aida Girma, Country Representative UNICEF Pakistan; Dr. George Laryea Adjei, Regional Director, UNICEF South Asia; and Julien Harneis, UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan.