News

June 23, 2021 – Islamabad: Together with Ehsaas team, Dr. Sania Nishtar convened the fourth e-Kacheri of Ehsaas. She responded to queries of Ehsaas beneficiaries who phoned her from various remote areas of country. Callers asked about the ongoing payments under the second round of Ehsaas Emergency Cash. Dr. Sania guided listeners that beneficiaries for Ehsaas Emergency Cash are being identified the ongoing Ehsaas survey which is 94% complete. She also guided listeners about the process of enrolment under ‘Ehsaas Kafaalat for Special Persons’. The e-Kacheri was broadcast through Radio Pakistan’s national hook up programme, Raabta and Facebook, @EhsaasOffcialPK. Full programme can be watched here.

June 22, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar made a visit to Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad to hold a policy consultation on Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships with brilliant and deserving students. On the grounds of the university, Dr. Sania sat with Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship awardees of 2020-21. “I am delighted that for the FY 2020/21, total 90,000 scholarships worth Rs. 8.4 Billion are being awarded to deserving yet talented students”, said Dr. Sania. Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Dr. Muhammad Ali and other faculty members were also present. More than 50 boys and girls participated in the dialogue. Lauding the scale of the Ehsaas scholarships, the students shared that they were able to pursue their higher education only because of the support they received through Ehsaas undergraduate scholarship programme. Students who came to the table with Dr. Sania were from diverse regional and social backgrounds including Bahawalpur, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Zhob, Turbat, Gilgit, Ghizer, Chitral and AJK. They were studying in different undergraduate disciplines- Bioinformatics, Economics, Social Sciences, Archaeology, Botany and Pakistan Studies etc.

June 22, 2021 – Islamabad: Under the Ehsaas umbrella, the meeting of the Risk Management and Assurance Committee of the BISP board was held in Islamabad. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. This was the sixth meeting of the Committee. The meeting discussed risk mapping and risk mitigation strategies under the Ehsaas Risk Registry. The Committee approved the risk register and recommended future course of action against the identified risks to make the programme delivery transparent, accountable and responsive. Members of the Committee joined both physically and virtually along with Monitoring and Evaluation team. BISP is one of the 34 executing agencies of Ehsaas.

June 22, 2021 – Islamabad: Federal Cabinet ratified the decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to increase Ehsaas Kafaalat stipend and grant equivalent of an extra month of payment to all beneficiaries every year. The six month stipend will increase from Rs 12,000 to 13,000 from January 2022. Earlier on January 21, 2021, the ECC had approved the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation’s proposal on Indexation Policy for Cash Transfer that would allow the beneficiaries to receive an additional cash of Rs. 166 per month due to indexation. The mechanism shall consist of a Committee which will be chaired by Secretary Finance Division. The other members of the Committee would be Additional Finance Secretary, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Economic Advisor Finance Division, and one co-opted member for independent technical advice.

June 21, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar visited the ‘Ehsaas Rehribaan’ site in G-10 Markaz of Islamabad to interact with street vendors who have recently been provided with improved carts to streamline local vending activities. Ehsaas Rehribaan aims to create an enabling environment for street vendors in Islamabad. During the visit, Dr. Sania walked around the vending carts and interacted with street vendors. She obtained their viewpoints on the pilot initiative and explored possibilities to improve the street vending ecosystem. Under the umbrella of Ehsaas, the Rehribaan pilot is an outcome of collaboration between Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety Division (PASSD), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), ICT Administration and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).”

June 17, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting of the Ehsaas steering committee for the Ehsaas education conditional cash transfer programme. The steering committee was briefed on the upscaling of primary education conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme, Waseela-e-Taleem Digital to the secondary level. The programme is all set to be rolled out across all districts of the country in the first quarter of the next financial year. In the meeting, all four provinces, GB and AJK came to the table to endorse the scale-up of Ehsaas stipends for secondary education. It was fully ratified that secondary education CCT, when launched under the umbrella of Ehsaas will reduce disparities in secondary schooling opportunities by raising school attendance, enrolment, and the school progression among out of school children particularly girls.

June 17, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar held the third Ehsaas e-Kacheri with Ehsaas beneficiaries. The e-Kacheri was broadcast through Radio Pakistan’s national hook up programme, Raabta and Facebook, @EhsaasOffcialPK. She responded to questions of beneficiaries who phoned her from remote areas of country. Callers asked about the second round of Ehsaas Emergency Cash. Dr. Sania apprised listeners that Ehsaas Emergency Cash disbursements have begun on June 16, 2021. Further, she shared that Rs.12,000 emergency cash would be provided to each of the 4 million additional households. These households will be identified through the ongoing Ehsaas survey which is 92% complete. She also guided listeners that women of eligible households would be able to collect payment upon receiving the message. Full footage can be watched here.

June 17, 2021 – Islamabad: In commemoration of the 100 years of the Communist Party of China, the Pakistan-China Institute organized a webinar titled, “People Centred: Celebrating 100 Years of CPC”. Dr. Sania Nishtar in her keynote speech, highlighted the remarkable success of the CPC in eradicating poverty. She said that Pakistan is keen to learn from the Chinese model. Dr. Sania also congratulated the Communist Party of China on its centenary. The virtual conference aimed at learning from the Chinese experience under the CPC leadership and highlighted new dimensions to further strengthen the bilateral relationship. Other eminent speakers were H.E. Nong Rong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan; Senator Mushahid Hussain, Chairman Senate Defence Committee; and Liu Genfa, Deputy Director General, Department of International Exchange and Programme Development of China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong (CELAP), Shanghai.

June 16, 2021 – Islamabad: Ehsaas opens an e-portal, “Ehsaas Digital”, for accessing information and services related to all Ehsaas programmes and initiatives. Designed to empower and facilitate a common man, this e-portal is part of the One Window Ehsaas initiative. The digital e-portal offers Ehsaas specific people centred information. “People are not interested in technical information. They have questions about how they can benefit from Ehsaas. So, we have built the Ehsaas Digital e-portal with this in view based on the questions which we get on social media about various Ehsaas programmes”, said Dr. Sania Nishtar during the press conference. Ehsaas Digital can be accessed here.

June 15, 2021 – Islamabad: Under the Ehsaas umbrella, Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the 49th meeting of BISP Board. The meeting approved over 18,000 additional Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships for deserving students in the waiting list for FY2020-21. The board meeting was attended by Dr. Ismat Tahira, Secretary BISP; Muhammad Ali Shahzada Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, and senior officials and representatives of Finance Division, Economic Affairs Division and NADRA. Amongst private sector members, Zaffar A Khan, Syed Salim Raza, Qazi Azmat Isa, Khawar Mumtaz and Dr. Ahsfaque Hasan Khan attended the meeting. Board members came to the table both physically as well as virtually. BISP is one of the 34 executing agencies of Ehsaas.

June 15, 2021 – Islamabad: In preparation for the second phase of Ehsaas Emergency Cash, Dr. Sania Nishtar held a review meeting with the Ehsaas team. She reviewed arrangements being made countrywide for the disbursement of the upcoming tranche of Ehsaas Emergency Cash. The tranche is releasing this week. “Integrity and transparency is our top priority in these operations”, Dr. Nishtar reiterated. Under the programme, Rs. 12,000 financial assistance would be disbursed to each of the 4 million additional households. The additional households will be identified through the ongoing Ehsaas survey.

June 14, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister chaired a briefing on the Ehsaas targeted commodity subsidies program to be introduced by the government for Ehsaas beneficiaries. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed the PM on the proposed system of providing targeted subsidies through Karyana stores in collaboration with National Bank of Pakistan. Dr. Sania informed the meeting that introduction of targeted subsidies system was aimed at providing financial assistance to Ehsaas beneficiary households for purchasing essential commodities. PM appreciated efforts to set up a system for targeted subsidies. The meeting was also attended by Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen, SAPM Dr. Waqar Masood, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, President National Bank Arif Usmani and officers concerned.

June 14, 2021: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired a consultative session in Ehsaas Implementation Tracking Index. The objective of the consultative session was to discuss methodology and data sources. Dr. Sabina Alkire from Oxford Policy and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) presented the methodology for EITI. This was followed by open discussion by participants. “While the efforts of beefing up social protection and addressing the COVID-19 related issues are being made, it is crucial to monitor the progress of Ehsaas related interventions, measure the impacts, enhance accountability and generate feedbacks for the improvement and finetuning of the program and ensure its maximum effectiveness”, said Dr. Sania Nishtar. UNDP has been partnering with Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division in developing a Ehsaas Implementation Tracking Index (EITI). OPHI is providing the technical support in this regard.

June 13, 2021 – Islamabad: Reaching out the wider national audience, Dr. Sania Nishtar convened the second e-Kacheri of Ehsaas. She was also accompanied by the Ehsaas team. Connecting with masses, Dr. Sania Nishtar replied to questions of live callers who phoned her from remote areas of country. She provided listeners with instructional and beneficiary centred information about Ehsaas programs and initiatives. The Ehsaas e-Kacheri was broadcast on Radio Pakistan’s national hook up programme Raabta as well as on Facebook, @EhsaasOffcialPK. During the e-Kacheri, Dr. Sania also listened to the issues and concerns of Ehsaas beneficiaries, guided them empathetically and assured that their issues will be resolved at the earliest. Callers also asked about the reopening of Ehsaas registration desks. Dr. Sania informed that Ehsaas registration desks are temporarily closed nationwide owing to the current wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Those who have received response from 8171 to go to registration desks, will be able to register themselves in Ehsaas when desks reopen after June 30, 2021. Full footage can be watched here.

June 10, 2021 – Islamabad: Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-21 was unveiled in a joint press conference by Cabinet Ministers. At the press conference, Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin was joined by SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar, Minister for Industries Khusro Bakhtyar, Adviser to PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, SAPM on Finance and Revenue Dr. Waqar Masood and others. The Pakistan Economic Survey is a flagship report of the government which highlights the trend of macro-economic indicators, development policies, strategies as well as sectoral achievements of the economy. The overview of Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-21 contains three sub-sections i.e., Global Economic Review, Pakistan Economic Review and Executive Summary.

June 10, 2021 – Islamabad: The project steering committee of Ehsaas undergraduate scholarship came to the table for the eighth time to review the process of scholarship disbursements for the FY2020/21. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. For the FY 2020/21, total 69,130 scholarships worth Rs. 6.53 Billion are being awarded including 51% scholarships for girls and 4% for minorities. The need cum merit based Ehsaas scholarship covers 100% tuition fee and a living stipend. The meeting also reviewed the pattern being followed for scholarship distribution and disbursements to 119 public sector universities. The programme is on the track in its first two years of execution. In the current year 2020-21, as many as 120,000 undergraduate students applied for Ehsaas scholarship through online portal. Students from low-income backgrounds studying in undergraduate programmes across 119 public sector universities were eligible to apply.

June 9, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister opened the first One Window Ehsaas Center in Sitara Market Islamabad. Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed the PM on services being offered through a single window, a one-stop shop. Ehsaas One Window Centers will be made in every district of the country. Under the Ehsaas umbrella, there are many programs for 14 different target groups. But often, a poor family is not aware of the benefits they are entitled to and, if they are aware, they have to go to multiple offices to seek help. In this center, all Ehsaas services can be accessed in one place. Part of Ehsaas strategy (policy action #4), One Window Ehsaas initiative has six pillars: A One Stop Shop, the Ehsaas Center; a public facing digital information and services platform; mobile app; back office consolidated digital interface; Cognitive API architecture, or the integrated national socioeconomic database; and finally, the Ehsaas One-Window Beneficiary Selection and Targeting Policy.

June 6, 2021- Islamabad: The Cognitive API architecture for Ehsaas’ National Socio-Economic Registry 2021 is one of the six main pillars of ‘One Window Ehsaas’. With the survey, which is building the registry currently 90.5% complete nationwide, Ehsaas is firming up its plans to open data sharing and data access services for all executing agencies under Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Data sharing will be done through the Cognitive API Architecture approach. The deployment of Ehsaas API architecture for data sharing will allow executing agencies to access data from the unified registry in real-time to validate beneficiary information. This will empower them to ascertain eligibility of potential beneficiaries. A final presentation was made to Dr. Sania Nishtar who closely oversaw this process. She praised the technical team working on Ehsaas Cognitive API Architecture approach and congratulated them.

June 5, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the 48th meeting of the board BISP. The meeting approved criteria to ascertain eligibility of beneficiaries for second round of Ehsaas Emergency Cash. The board also granted approval for deployment of advanced technology tools to enhance the agility of Data4Pakistan initiative. The board meeting was attended by Dr. Ismat Tahira, Secretary BISP; Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division; and senior officials from Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs Division (EAD) and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). Among private sector members, Zaffar A. Khan, Qazi Azmat Isa and Khawar Mumtaz attended the meeting. Board members joined the meeting both physically as well as virtually.

June 3, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar and President National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) held two meetings this week on potential targeted Karyana subsidies initiative. Senior officials and representatives from Ehsaas and NBP also joined the meeting. The meeting discussed options to design the targeted subsidies programme for Ehsaas beneficiaries through small Karyana stores. Various options were presented to support the poorest households with government’s commodity subsidy. Issuance of debit cards to the deserving households was one of the options discussed. The objective of the upcoming programme is to help the beneficiary families of Ehsaas through provision of targeted subsidies on essential commodities.

June 2, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to keynote the special session on, “Advancing tourism for development and poverty alleviation at the 2nd conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of Economic Cooperation Organization (PAECO) countries hosted by Pakistan. The session brought together PAECO delegates from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan. In a special session, the members of the national parliaments of the economic cooperation organization issued a joint statement to cooperate on poverty alleviation. Reiterating Pakistan’s resolve to flourishing tourism for poverty alleviation, Dr. Sania Nishtar declared that Pakistan will take the lead in this collaborative endeavor. She emphasized on the promotion of tourism across ECO region in all its legal forms. The distinguished delegates of ECO countries jointly reaffirmed to cooperate on various aspects of common aspirations in advancing tourism for development and poverty alleviation. The member countries urged and called upon Executive Council of ECO to formulate a joint working group/committee of members of parliament so that an institutional arrangement can be established for the joint sharing of resources of the PAECO member states, in the next one year, in the overall context of advancing tourism for development and poverty alleviation.

June 2, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited by Julien Harneis, United Nations Resident United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan to speak on the UN Country Team Retreat 2021. The retreat focused on preparation of cooperation framework for 2023-27 with the country team of United Nations . As part of that, a series of discussions were held with country representatives from UNDP, UNICEF, ILO, UNIDO, Un Women, WFP and FAO. In her capacity as a Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Sania spoke on, ‘Pakistan’s national and provincial government capacity – What can the UN bring that others cannot?’.

June 1, 2021 – Islamabad: A second meeting of the Economic Advisory Committee (EAC) was held with four sub-groups on agriculture, CPEC, social protection and information technology. Regarding social protection, Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed EAC on the social safety and poverty alleviation programmes under Ehsaas. She made a detailed presentation to EAC on the current progress of Ehsaas and proposed plan of interventions in the next financial year. Dr. Sania leads the EAC’s subgroup on social protection. EAC commended Dr. Sania on evolving Ehsaas that is a comprehensive national program for social protection and poverty alleviation.

June 1, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a meeting with Secretary Power Division, Ali Raza Bhutta to discuss targeted energy subsidies. The meeting explored various possibilities with regard to the potential energy subsidy programme for Ehsaas beneficiaries. Ideas were discussed to grant the government’s subsidy only to the targeted consumers by linking the mechanism with the database of Ehsaas survey 2021. Once the prospective programme is firmed up, the subsidy will be given to the targeted consumers who will be identified through Ehsaas survey.

May 31, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar together with senior officials of Ehsaas convened the first e-Kacheri of Ehsaas. The event aimed to connect with Ehsaas beneficiaries and provide them with instructional information about Ehsaas programs and initiatives. Dr. Sania replied to questions of callers who connected with her on phone by calling on 051-9246334. She listened to the issues of beneficiaries, guided them and assured that their issues will be resolved at the earliest. People shared their CNIC numbers and in return were instantly provided with their eligibility and payment status. The e-Kacheri was broadcast on Facebook at @EhsaasOffcialPK. Footage can be accessed here.

May 27, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar joined a high-level panel discussion at the World Health Assembly side event on, “Hepatitis Elimination”. The event was hosted by World Economic Forum, World Health Organization and the Hepatitis Fund. Dr. Sania highlighted the utmost importance of commitment, adequate resources and multi-stakeholder collaboration for hepatitis elimination. “We must now build the commitment to do it, if we are to achieve our mutual objective of ending viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030”, she reiterated. The panellists were– Hala Zayed, Minister of Health of Egypt; Dr. Philippe Duneton, Executive Director, Unitaid; Wangsheng Li, Executive Director, The Hepatitis Fund; and SAPM on Social Protection Dr. Sania Nishtar from Pakistan. The session was moderated by Dr. Genya Dana, Head of Health and Healthcare, World Economic Forum. Full footage here.

May 26, 2021 – Islamabad: With SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar in chair, a meeting was held to take stock of the key findings of the qualitative study with Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries. The study was commissioned by Ehsaas in collaboration with Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. The main focus of the research was to gain insights into beneficiary saving behavior. Findings shall inform the design of a financial and digital literacy training program under the recently rolled out Ehsaas Saving Wallets initiative. Drawing on results of the qualitative study, Ehsaas beneficiaries will be trained on financial and digital literacy beside their children for better impact. During the meeting, it was strongly recommended that training will be designed in local languages utilizing beneficiary centered approach to instill greater confidence and self-efficacy amongst the women beneficiaries of Ehsaas, enabling them to fully avail the benefits of Ehsaas Savings Wallets.

May 26, 2021 – Islamabad: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved the launch of second phase of the Ehsaas Emergency Cash programme (EECP) worth Rs. 48 Billion, under which Rs.12,000 would be provided to each of the 4 million additional households. These 4 million additional beneficiaries will be identified through the ongoing Ehsaas survey by using higher eligibility threshold while remaining below the poverty line. The purpose is to compensate affected households for unemployment caused by COVID-19 crises. The disbursement process will be initiated within this financial year. The cash assistance will be provided through existing partner banks of Ehsaas, including Bank Alfalah in KP, AJK, and GB, and Habib Bank Limited in Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Islamabad through payment sites, biometrically enabled ATMs and retail Points of Sale (POS) agents, as well as through dedicated bank branches for beneficiaries with thumb amputations or biometric failures.

May 25, 2021- Kunming: Dr. Sania Nishtar keynoted the first ‘High-level Women Forum’ held in in Kunming city of China to mark the 70th Anniversary of Pak-China diplomatic relations.

Moin ul Haque, Ambassador of Pakistan to China hosted the event. The theme of the forum was acknowledging women of Pakistan and China, particularly their role in poverty alleviation, post-Covid recovery and evidence-based intervention for socio-economic uplift of vulnerable populations. The event was attended by Ministers, Presidents of the two women associations, senior officials, female entrepreneurs and students from both countries. The Vice Governor of the Yunnan province also attended the forum as a special guest. The Embassy of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Beijing, in collaboration with All China Women Federation, All Pakistan Women Association and Yunnan Provincial Women’s Federation had co-organized the event. Dr. Sania’s keynote speech can be watched here.

May 24, 2021 – Islamabad, Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to Ehsaas Kafaalat payment site in Islamabad launched ‘Ehsaas Savings Wallets’ (Ehsaas Bachat Accounts) pilot initiative for 7 million Kafaalat beneficiaries. PM was given the demonstration of Ehsaas Savings Wallets (ESWs). He also interacted with the beneficiary women present on the site. Financial inclusion is a central goal of Ehsaas and key to unlocking the potential of millions of the most disadvantaged women in Pakistan. Addressing the ceremony, PM congratulated Ehsaas for introducing Ehsaas Savings Wallets for 7 million women. “In Pakistan, most of the digitally and financially excluded segments are destitute women. For the first time, the poorest women in Pakistan will have the option to save their stipends”, said PM. He also thanked UNSGSA Queen Máxima of the Netherlands for her remarks at the launch of the Ehsaas Financial Inclusion Strategy when she visited Pakistan in Nov 2019. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar gave a detailed snapshot of Ehsaas broadly and the savings wallets initiative to the PM. Congratulating the roll out of flagship financial inclusion programme by the government of Pakistan, UNSGSA Queen Máxima sent a special message for Ehsaas that was delivered by H.E. Mr. Wouter Plomp, Ambassador of Netherlands to Pakistan.

May 21, 2021 – Islamabad: Immediately after Eid holidays, Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a series of review meetings this past week with all four executing agencies of Ehsaas including BISP, PPAF, PBM, TVO and Ehsaas Delivery Unit (EDU). With the monitoring and evaluation dashboard of Ehsaas up and running, the review meetings tracked the progress and implementation of targets established under the performance agreements signed with the Prime Minister. Through new Delivery Unit tools strategic plans of each of the executing agencies were also thoroughly reviewed to accelerate implementation of Ehsaas in the last six weeks of the current fiscal year 2020-21.

May 21, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the fourth meeting of Ehsaas Vendor Support Group. The meeting discussed ways to improve the street vending ecosystem under  ‘Ehsaas Rehri Baan’ initiative. Ehsaas Vendor Support Group has been set up at the Division of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety to coordinate the ensuing interventions in street vending. The meeting brought together senior officials from Capital Development Authority (CDA) Islamabad, Capital Territory Administration (ICTA), Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary of the Division was also present.

May 20, 2021 – Islamabad: With SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar in chair, a meeting was held with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) to take stock of the National Poverty Graduation Initiative being executed under the Ehsaas umbrella. The meeting tracked progress in implementation of Ehsaas Interest Free Loan (IFL) and Ehsaas Amdan programmes. Currently, Ehsaas IFL is being implemented in 110 districts. With the recently ploughed injection of Rs. 5 Billion by the federal government, the programme is being upscaled across 28 additional districts in lagging regions (including deepening in 5 existing districts). The upscaling is grounded on the human development index ranking of districts, poverty profiling and economic needs. The meeting also discussed the progress of Ehsaas Amdan. Through Ehsaas Amdan programme, assets are given to the deserving to enable them to graduate out of poverty. Ehsaas Amdan is being implemented in 375 union councils of 23 poorest districts across four provinces of Pakistan. Secretary PASSD and CEO, PPAF were also present in the meeting. Under Ehsaas, PPAF has the responsibility for poverty graduation.

May 20, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania conducted a stocktake meeting with the Managing Director Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM), Malik Zaheer Abbas and his team to review operations for Panagahs, Ehsaas Koye Bhooka Na Soye (food truck) Dar-ul-Ehsaas (orphanages), Ehsaas Kada (Oldage homes) and wheelchair programmes for disabled. MD PBM shared that, guided by Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, efforts are underway to launch a number of new Ehsaas programmes including those on women empowerment, child protection and street beggars. Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal is responsible for demand side social protection under Ehsaas.

May 20, 2021: Dr. Sania Nishtar was called on by Murad Raas, Provincial Minister for Education Punjab. Murad Raas briefed Dr. Sania about the forthcoming school meals programme. Currently, Punjab Government is envisioning a large scale meals programme for school going children across the province. The meeting discussed federal-provincial collaborations for the programme of Punjab. With regard to the meals programme, Dr. Sania assured full support and cooperation of Ehsaas to Punjab Government.

May 20, 2021 – Islamabad: A virtual meeting was held between Dr. Sania Nishtar and President National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to explore collaborations. The meeting discussed potential partnership under the forthcoming targeted subsidies programme for Ehsaas beneficiaries. Various options were discussed in the meeting including provision of subsidies through NBP debit card. The primary purpose of Ehsaas targeted subsidies is to help the under-privileged families through targeted subsidization.

May 19, 2021 – Islamabad: At the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Dr. Sania convened a review meeting with the management of Trust for Voluntary Organizations (TVO). The meeting tracked the progress to-date, and discussed ways to further accelerate implementation. The key areas of their work that came under discussion were the reconstitution of TVO Board and function of TVO to execute the Ehsaas Private Sector Engagement Policy with the private sector. Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division was also present. TVO is one of executing agencies of Ehsaas.

May 18, 2021 – Islamabad: With the Secretary of the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division and Ehsaas Delivery Unit (EDU) team, Dr. Sania Nishtar assessed the implementation and delivery of over 140 Ehsaas programmes and initiatives through the new Ehsaas monitoring and evaluation dashboard. The meeting took place at the Division. EDU is a dedicated unit to lead delivery of Ehsaas strategy. Its overall mandate is folded into four key functions including programme’s strategic roll out, monitoring and evaluation, data analytics, advisory support, and communications and stakeholder engagement, among others. The charge for end-to-end delivery of programmes, policies and initiatives ultimately rests with the respective ministries, divisions and agencies and, EDU has been mandated to coordinate and track the performance and progress.

May 18, 2021 – News York: Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak at a Global Dialogue on, “Connecting the Dots on Social Protection” via video link. Co-hosted by UNDP and ILO, the dialogue brought together stakeholders to discuss how social protection frameworks can be more inclusive of key populations and people living with HIV. The event provided an opportunity for governments, civil society, people living with HIV, key populations, employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations, insurance providers, funders and other partners to share strategies and good practice in making social protection more inclusive for key populations and people living with HIV. At the global dialogue, Dr. Sania was joined by Damaris Muhika from Central Organization of Trade Unions Kenya, Gloria Terwes Posada, from Costa Rican Social Security Fund, Costa Rica and Yok Samedy, Deputy Secretary General of General Secretariat for the National Social Protection Council. Dr. Sania’s speech can be watched here.

May 17, 2021 – Islamabad: To review the Ehsaas 8171 service and the ongoing Ehsaas Kafaalat operations nationwide, Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a full day meeting with the BISP team working on these programmes. BISP is one of the 34 executing agencies of Ehsaas that has the mandate to run cash transfers. Secretary BISP shared details on the overall progress and the pace of target completion for Ehsaas survey that is underway, and forthcoming One Window Ehsaas initiative that is just on the anvil. Dr. Nishtar appreciated the central role of Ehsaas survey that will provide the basis for all policy interventions under Ehsaas.

May 16, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister congratulated Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar and Ehsaas team over the World Bank’s listing of Ehsaas Emergency Cash (EEC) program amongst the top four social protection initiatives in the world. In a tweet today, he said: “This is a milestone and well deserved international recognition.” Under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash, a stipend of Rs. 12,000 was given to as many as 15 million families each the previous year which made it the largest and most extensive social protection program in the history of the country. The World Bank released a report on global social protection responses to Covid-19 on May 14, 2021. The report is called a “living paper”, and it is a partnership effort involving 18 co-authors and a large number of contributors. The paper presented a 650-page volume, accompanying database documenting how countries and territories were planning, implementing and completing social protection measures in the context of the pandemic. Report can be accessed here.

May 14, 2021- Islamabad: The World Bank has just released a report on “global social protection responses to Covid-19”. This report is called the “living paper” and it is a partnership effort involving 18 co-authors and a large number of contributors; the paper presents a 650-page volume and accompanying database documenting how countries and territories are planning, implementing or completing social protection measures in the context of the pandemic. The report states that there has been “an exponential growth in social protection measures between March 20, 2020 and May 14, 2021 and that a total of 3,333 social protection measures have been planned or implemented in 222 countries or territories”. Pakistan ranks 4th globally in terms of the number of people covered and 3rd globally in terms of percentage of population covered amongst those that covered over 100 million people; the World Bank has stated that only “select countries have attained impressive six-digit levels” in this regard. Pakistan’s Ehsaas Emergency Cash is one of them. The lead author of the paper is Ugo Gentilini, lead of Social Protection at the World Bank. The report is accompanied by an excel sheet as well to make available the larger volume of data. According to the report, Pakistan’s Ehsaas also ranked high amongst the programs that did well in terms of planned versus actual coverage rates. Report can be accessed here.

May 13, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar visited Edhi home on the first day of Eid. During the visit, she interacted with homeless girls and women, listened to their heart wrenching stories and encouraged them. She also appreciated the contributions of Edhi Foundation regarding provision of social safety to the women and girls in need. The Edhi Foundation provides, among many other services, shelter for the destitute, free hospitals and medical care, drug rehabilitation services, and national and international relief efforts.

May 11, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar reviewed ‘Ehsaas Koye Bhooka Na Soye’ (EKBNS) Iftar distribution operations in the suburbs of Islamabad. She reviewed the food distribution arrangements through the food truck introduced under the EKBNS initiative. She urged the people present on the spot, to collect Iftar meal, to take precautionary measures to stay safe from COVID-19. Dr. Nishtar also talked to the daily wage labourers, both men and women, and listened to their problems. She said special arrangements had been made for distribution of Sehr and Iftar meals to the deserving through the Ehsaas Langar scheme, Panagahs and Ehsaas food trucks during the month of Ramzan. Interacting with the staff of Ehsaas Food Truck, Dr. Sania lauded them for diligently rendering Sehri and Iftari distribution services throughout the month of Ramzan.

May 7-2021 – Islamabad: The Government of United Arab Emirates (UAE) has gifted 49 tonnes of dry ration for Pakistan’s Ehsaas programme. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Dr. Sania Nishtar formally received the gift in Islamabad from the senior officials of UAE Embassy in Islamabad. The ration will be used in Ehsaas Panagahs, Ehsaas Langars, and Dar ul Ehsaas orphanages. Speaking to media, Dr. Sania thanked the Government of UAE for this generous gift to support Ehsaas Langar (soup kitchen) initiatives. PM’s Focal Person on Panagahs, Naseem-ur-Rehman was also present on the occasion.

May 7, 2021: The third meeting of steering committee of Ehsaas Tahafuz took place at Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. The steering took important decisions with regard to scale up of the existing Tahafuz pilot, which is well underway and is giving very good results. Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary of the Division was also present. Ehsaas Tahafuz is currently being piloted in one hospital of Rawalpindi.

May 6, 2021 – New York: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Munir Akram in his capacity as the President of United Nations’ Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UN-ECOSOC) convened the 7th biennial high-level Development Cooperation Forum (DCF). Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to keynote the event. The DCF is the principal global platform for policy dialogue on development cooperation. The DCF aimed to advance international development cooperation that reduces risk, enables recovery and builds resilience in the COVID-19 period and beyond. The session brought together Liu Zhenmin, Under Secretary-General, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology, University College London and Special Advisor to Director-General of WHO; and Dr. Sania Nishtar. Keynoting the DCF 2021, Dr. Sania said, “The shared experiences of the last year and a half have hurt, challenged and changed us all. As a global community we must now appreciate that COVID-19 is threatening to wipe out the development gains of the last century—it is reversing three decades of gains in poverty eradication. A whole new generation now risks living in the shadow of poverty unless we take urgent action now.”

May 6, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar and SAPM Dr. Faisal Sultan held a final consultative meeting to jointly review and firm up the ‘Ehsaas Catastrophic Health Expenditure Policy’ which is on the anvil. The said policy is being formulated to dovetail Ehsaas Tahafuz programme with the Sehat Sahulat programme of the government. The policy will provide guidelines to identify patients facing catastrophic health expenditures, who will then be assessed by the digital system, and if eligible, will be provided funding. Once the Catastrophic Health Expenditure Policy gets materialized, Ehsaas Tahafuz pilot will be upscaled from one hospital in Rawalpindi to several public hospitals in the country. Currently, Ehsaas Tahafuz pilot is being executed in Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi.

May 6, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the third meeting of Ehsaas Vendor Support Group, to discuss the expansion of ‘Ehsaas Rehribaan’ pilot. The meeting brought together Amer Ali Ahmed Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA); Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Administrator Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI); Zia Banday, Focal Person on Street Vendors’ Initiative; along with senior officials from Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA), Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary PASSD was also present. To coordinate street vending interventions, Ehsaas Vendor Support Group has been set up at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). The collaborative street vending initiative of Ehsaas aims to create an enabling environment for street vendors in Islamabad. After the successful execution of pilot project in G-11 Islamabad, the Ehsaas Rehribaan pilot will be scaled up through coverage of additional areas and regularization of more street vendors.

May 6, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar called on the Minister for Finance and Revenue, Shaukat Tarin at the Finance Division Islamabad. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Revenue Dr. Waqar Masood and Secretary Finance Division also participated in the meeting. The meeting discussed the financial modalities of the upcoming Targeted Subsidy programme for Ehsaas beneficiaries through a chain of Utility Stores outlets across Pakistan and local grocery stores. The underlying rationale is to support the under-privileged and marginalized households through targeted subsidization policy with focus on poverty reduction and women empowerment.

May 5, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar together with senior officials convened Ehsaas briefing with Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of Balochistan. The virtual meeting was held on special invitation of Chief Secretary Balochistan. The aim of the meeting was to inform the district administrations in Balochistan about the ongoing Ehsaas programmes and initiatives and to seek collaborations for making enhancements in Ehsaas payment operations. Chief Secretary (CS) Balochistan and Secretary BISP also joined the briefing. Dr. Nishtar outlined details of multisectoral Ehsaas programmes specifically conditional and unconditional cash transfer programmes being executed in Balochistan. In particular, the ongoing Ehsaas Kafaalat operations in the province were discussed in detail. To facilitate easy payments in remote regions of Balochistan, enhancements in Kafaalat payment operations were discussed bilaterally. It was agreed that the number of Ehsaas campsites, BVS enabled bank branches and point of sales agents will be increased in far flung sub-Tehsils of Awaran, Sherani, Surab and Kech.

May 4, 2021 – Islamabad: Part of the forthcoming One Window Ehsaas Initiative, preparations are in full swing to open the first, ‘Physical One Window Ehsaas Center’ in the federal capital. To review arrangements, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar visited the site along with senior officials of Ehsaas team. The first One Window Ehsaas Center opening in Islamabad will be a one-stop-shop that will integrate all Ehsaas programmes under one roof. The centre will facilitate beneficiaries to get information on all Ehsaas benefits and services available to them in one space.

May 4, 2021- Manila: Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak at Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meeting. The high-level virtual meeting seminar focused discussions on a woman-focused recovery for a more inclusive post-COVID 19 future. Alongside Dr. Sania, the panel included Joseph Sveglich, Economist, Economics and Research Department, Asian Development Bank; Wendy Teleki Head We-Fi Secretariat, World Bank Group; Deniz Harut, Executive Director, Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered Bank; and Joni Simpson Senior Specialist Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination, International Labor Organisation (ILO). The session was moderated by Sharanjit Leyl, BBC. Participants discussed how to position gender equality more saliently post- COVID -19. Dr. Sania stressed on the need for gender related targets in programs, she highlighted the example of Ehsaas where there are specific time bound outcome based targets for gender mainstreaming evidenced in the Ehsaas 50% Plus Benefits (for women policy).

May 3, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar held a team meeting to review the Ehsaas Tahafuz Donation Management System which is on the anvil. The meeting reviewed efficiency and integrity features of the online portal for funds generation under Ehsaas Tahafuz globally. Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division was also in attendance. Once operationalized, the donation system will also have funders’ empowerment features in terms of micro-transaction alerts, and personalized login credentials for detailed web-viewing.

Islamabad – May 3, 2021: Dr. Sania Nishtar visited the ‘Ehsaas Rehribaan’ site in G-11 Markaz of the federal capital to interact with street vendors who have been provided with improved carts and training to streamline local vending activities. The collaborative street vending initiative aims to create an enabling environment for street vendors in Islamabad. During the visit, Dr. Sania walked around the vending carts and met with local street vendors. She obtained their viewpoints on the multistakeholder initiative and explored possibilities to improve the street vending ecosystem. Under the umbrella of Ehsaas, model vending carts with eco-friendly structures have recently been handed over to a select number of existing vendors in G-11.

Speaking to media during the visit, Dr. Sania stated, “In line with the PM’s vision to create an enabling environment for street vendors, ‘Ehsaas Rehribaan’ has embarked upon furthering local vending to improve overall ecology. The model vending initiative is an outcome of collaboration between Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety Division (PASSD), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), ICT Administration and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).”

May 1, 2021 – Islamabad: In celebration of Labour Day 2021, Ehsaas hosted a webinar to e-launch, “Mazdoor Ka Ehsaas (MKE) Report”. The webinar was co-chaired by SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Dr. Sania Nishtar and SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OPHRD) Syed Zulfikar Bukhari. The newly launched MKE report recommends that every labour worker in Pakistan should be provided with the social protection and minimum standard of living. Under the umbrella of Ehsaas, Dr. Sania had established the Ehsaas Labour Expert Group (LEG), in a tripartite arrangement. The mandate of LEG was to propose evidence-based practical recommendations to safeguard workers’ welfare. The LEG brought together distinguished experts representing the government at the federal and provincial levels, employers, trade unions, academia, private sector and development partners. Labour Day webinar offered a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to sit together and deliberate on avenues for action on policy recommendations of MKE report. The panel included Dr. Aliya Khan, Labour Economist and representatives from Ministry of OPHRD, ILO, Employers Federation Pakistan, Pakistan Workers’ Federation, World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Report can be accessed here.

April 30, 2021: Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to Gilgit Baltistan inaugurated the three major Ehsaas programmes in Gilgit Baltistan (GB). PM announced the provincewide roll out of Ehsaas Nashonuma, Ehsaas secondary education stipends and Ehsaas One Woman One Account initiatives across GB. So far, 8 Ehsaas Nashonuma centers have been opened in 3 districts of GB including Diamer, Astore and Kharmang. In collaboration with the provincial government of GB, a detailed roadmap has been developed to open Ehsaas Nashonuma Centers in every district of GB. Prime Minister’s “One Woman One Bank Account Initiative”, Ehsaas Bachat Account (saving account) for Ehsaas Kafalaat beneficiaries was also formally launched in Hunza Nagar district and would be scaled up later nationwide. While in Gilgit, PM also announced the first of its kind Ehsaas’ secondary education conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme for secondary school going children of deserving households. Ehsaas has already approved and budgeted for the expansion of the conditional cash transfer from the primary level to the secondary education level. The new secondary education CCT has been structured along the lines of Ehsaas Stipend policy that allocates higher stipend amount for girls as compared to boys. Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed the PM on the ongoing Ehsaas programmes and initiatives across GB.

Apr 29, 2021 – Islamabad: At the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), Dr. Sania Nishtar presided a meeting of Ehsaas Vendor Support Group, to review the progress of ‘Ehsaas Rehri Baan’ initiative. The multistakeholder initiative is centred on improving the ecosystem for street vending. Part of the initiative, Ehsaas Vendor Support Group has been established at PASSD for coordination of the ensuing interventions in street vending. The meeting was attended by senior officials and representatives from Capital Development Authority (CDA) Islamabad, Capital Territory Administration (ICTA), Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division was also in attendance.

April 28, 2021 – Rawalpindi: Dr. Sania Nishtar along with her team made a visit to Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi to asses pilot operations of Ehsaas Tahafuz. She held a meeting with team of medical experts, hospital administrators and programme verifiers. The meeting reviewed overall programme progress and lessons learned from the pilot execution. Ehsaas Tahafuz is premised on protecting deserving patients from catastrophic health expenditures. Enhancements are being planned to expand the scale and scope of the programme later this year. Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division and Vice Chancellor Rawalpindi Medical University were also present in the meeting.

April 28, 2021 – Islamabad: A meeting of Ehsaas Tahafuz Expert Committee was convened at Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. The Expert Committee reviewed the current Tahafuz packages being offered and approved a number of newly proposed medical packages to expand the scale and scope of pilot operations. Tahafuz is Pakistan’s first shock-oriented precision safety net that covers heavy medical expenditures for the deserving. The programme is currently in pilot phase at Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi. Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division was also present.

April 28, 2021 – Islamabad: On the Prime Minister’s special instructions, ‘Ehsaas: Koye Bhooka Na Soye Fund’ has now been established to solicit public donations for expansion of ‘Ehsaas Koye Bhooka Na Soye’ programme nationwide. Public can deposit donations in cash or through crossed cheque in favour of, ‘Ehsaas: Koye Bhooka na Soye’ through branches of any of the commercial banks operating across the country. Contributions can also be made at field offices of State Bank of Pakistan Banking Services Cooperation in 15 cities across the country. Overseas Pakistanis can also send their donations to any commercial bank in Pakistan using the account details given on the banks’ websites. Overseas Pakistanis maintaining Roshan Digital Accounts (RDA) in Pakistan can also contribute to the fund through their RDAs. Talking to media, Dr. Sania Nishtar said, “We are setting up a robust fund governance mechanism at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division in order to ensure that all decisions related to fund utilisation and deployment are strictly rule based and transparent.”

April 26, 2021 – Islamabad: A meeting of SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was held with the UNICEF’s Social Policy team to discuss possibilities for more deeper engagement under Ehsaas. The meeting broadly explored options for expanding collaborations on social protection in the country, at a policy and operational level. From the UNICEF’s side, Luis Gorjon, Chief Social Policy along with senior representatives from Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI), a research institute based in Cape Town, South Africa joined the meeting.

April 26, 2021 – Islamabad: The 47^th board meeting of BISP was held at the BISP headquarters, Islamabad with SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar in chair. The board meeting was attended by Yusuf Khan Secretary BISP, Muhammad Ali Shahzada Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, AFS Finance Division, and representatives of EAD and NADRA. Amongst private sector members, Zaffar A Khan, Syed Salim Raza, Qazi Azmat Isa, Khawar Mumtaz and Dr. Ahsfaque Hasan Khan attended the meeting. Members participated in the meeting both physically as well as virtually.

Apr 23, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Murree to distribute Kafaalat stipends among newly enrolled households. All new beneficiaries were paid a sum of Rs. 12,000 covering the period Jan – Jun 2021. Ruqayya, Zaitoon Fatima, Shaheen Akhtar, Shafqat Bibi, Mehreen Bibi , Amina Bibi and other new beneficiaries received Kafaalat stipends and interacted with PM. They expressed gratitude that Ehsaas Kafaalat stipends of the government would assist them with their basic needs. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was also present on the occasion. With the Ehsaas survey now 83% complete, payments to those who have been identified through the new survey have commenced throughout the country. Following the first six monthly payment of Rs. 12,000 the new women beneficiaries will get quarterly payments of Rs. 6000 on continuing basis.

Apr 22, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar, was invited to join the meeting of Economic Advisory Committee (EAC) as an official member. The meeting was presided by Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin. This was the first session of EAC after its reconstitution. Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Division Omar Ayub Khan, Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Advisor to the PM on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr. Ishrat Hussain, SAPM on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari, SAPM on Revenue Dr. Waqar Masood, Chairman FBR, Chairman BOI and Governor State Bank also participated in the meeting. The EAC meeting was also attended by the leading representatives from the private sector. It was agreed that EAC will follow a consultative process and suggest policy initiatives to optimise and further strengthen the financial and economic policies aimed at enhancing public welfare.

April 20, 2021 – Islamabad: A meeting was held between SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar, Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen, SAPM Dr. Waqar Masood Khan and Secretary Finance to discuss the targeted commodity subsidy programme, coming under the umbrella of Ehsaas. Dr. Sania briefed the Finance Minister on programmatic, technical and financial contours of the forthcoming programme. The aim of the targeted subsidy programme is to give financial assistance to the deserving families enrolled in Ehsaas Kafaalat so that they could buy essential food items.

April 19, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar and SAPM Dr. Faisal Sultan met in Islamabad to discuss the the ‘Ehsaas Catastrophic Health Expenditure Policy’. The policy is currently in the pipeline to dovetail Ehsaas Tahafuz programme with the Sehat Sahulat programme of the government. Once the policy is finalized, Ehsaas Tahafuz pilot will be upscaled with several public hospitals in the country to identify patients facing catastrophic health expenditures, who will then be assessed by the digital system, and if eligible, will be provided funding. Currently, Ehsaas Tahafuz is being piloted in Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi.

Apr 17, 2021 – Islamabad: Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Muhammad Khalid Khursheed and Dr. Sania Nishtar with her team met in Islamabad. During the meeting, there was a strong agreement on the accelerated engagement around Ehsaas in GB. The CM was briefed about quality features of the Ehsaas survey, and it was explained to him how GB can benefit from the survey. The android based Ehsaas survey is currently 38% complete in GB and is progressing smoothly to accomplish by June 30, 2021. In addition, programmatic collaboration was discussed in detail to expand Ehsaas Nashonuma and primary education conditional cash transfer programme in every GB district.

April 14, 2021-Geneva: Dr. Sania Nishtar held a virtual meeting with Gerda Verburg, Coordinator and UN Assistant Secretary-General, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement. The meeting discussed forthcoming renewal of the SUN movement and opportunities in nutrition. Dr. Sania is a member of SUN Lead Group. The sun movement lead group has the overall responsibility for the movement’s progress towards achieving its objectives. The SUN Movement Secretariat is based in Geneva and is responsible for liaising with SUN Countries and ensuring the catalytic spirit of the Movement is embedded in the efforts of all actors.

April 14, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar answered the frequently asked questions of Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries in Radio Pakistan’s national broadcast, “Raabta”. The program was held to create awareness among masses about the newly opened Ehsaas 8171 service. Dr. Sania replied to questions of listeners who connected with her on telephone. During the live program, Dr. Sania guided listeners about how the marginalized households can check their eligibility status under Kafaalat by sending their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers on the SMS code 8171. Listen here.

https://youtu.be/J2u5e4HtQVo

April 16, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister during his visit to Sukkur district of Sindh visited a payment site-camp to review the Ehsaas Kafaalat disbursal operations that have just begun this week. At the site, PM joined the Kafaalat beneficiary women to witness details of biometrically enabled payments. Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed the PM about Ehsaas Kafaalat operations in Sindh and Ehsaas 8171 service. PM also interacted with the women present at the campsite to gain firsthand insights on the multitude of Ehsaas programmes and initiatives in Sindh. Safeguarding safe and easy digital payments amid the third wave of COVID-19, Ehsaas has set up 516 specialized payment camps throughout Sindh to roll out recently opened Kafaalat payments for the period Jan 2021 – Jun 2021. Combined payment for 6 months is being made. Alongside, payments can also be withdrawn from biometrically enabled ATMs of Habib Bank across all districts of Sindh.

April 13, 2021 – Islamabad: Ehsaas has opened 8171 SMS campaign enabling the new deserving households to check their eligibility under Ehsaas Kafaalat. Dr. Sania Nishtar said that the deserving families desiring to find out their eligibility status in the Kafaalat programme should send their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) numbers on the SMS code 8171, which is activated from today. The 8171 SMS service has been made free of charge for the public and the entire cost will be borne by Ehsaas. Ehsaas has begun the process of enrolling new beneficiaries which have been identified on the basis of the 2021 Ehsaas survey which is now 81% complete. Beneficiaries identified through the survey undergo “wealth profiling” through a data analytics mechanism to further clean the list of beneficiaries. When beneficiaries send their 13-digital CNIC number on 8171, they will either get a message that they are eligible and will be asked to collect money; or they will be informed that they are ineligible, or they will get a “wait” instruction.

April 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to keynote the official launch of the first edited book of the Centre for Afghanistan, Middle East & Africa (CAMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies (ISSI). The book was titled, ‘The Covid Challenge: Impact on Middle East & Africa’. On the occasion, Dr. Sania was also joined by Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister for Education. Other distinguished discussants included: Dr. Khalid Hussain Memon, Special Secretary Middle East, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan; Mr. Ali Javed, Additional Secretary Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pakistan and Ambassador Rizwan- ul-Haq Mahmood, Former Pakistani Diplomat to Muscat, Abu Dhabi & Jeddah

April 12, 2021 – Islamabad: At the virtual mission on Human Capital Review (HCR) held by the World Bank, Dr. Sania Nishtar was joined by Lire Ersado, Practice Leader; Syud Amer Ahmed, Senior Economist; Ali Nadeem Qureshi, Social Protection Specialist; Gul Najam Jamy, Senior Social Protection Specialist; Thelma Seoeun Choi, Economist; Mina Zamand, Research Analyst; and the World Bank Consultant, Sakib Sherani (Senior Advisor). The HCR aims to support Pakistan in accelerating human capital accumulation and addressing the existing vulnerabilities and those brought to light by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyses human capital challenges facing Pakistan and identify priority interventions and investments.

April 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar convened an online consultative meeting to discuss the final modalities of the ‘Ehsaas Koi Booka Na Soye (EKBNS) Bank Account and Fund” before information about it is released publicly.  The meeting was joined by senior officials from State Bank of Pakistan, National Bank of Pakistan and Ministry of Finance and Revenue. EKBNS is a new policy initiative of the federal government to eliminate hunger in the country. The recently rolled out programme provides cooked meals at designated delivery points in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore and Faisalabad to labour class.

April 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Ehsaas Kafaalat payments to beneficiaries have commenced throughout the country. Ehsaas has set up over 1600 payment camps nationwide, starting this week. Each beneficiary is being paid Rs. 12,000 covering the period January 2021 -June 2021. Combined payment for 6 months is being made. Women are collecting cash from especially set up payment camps. Payments are being made in camps so that COVID-19 SOPS can be followed there. In addition, payments can also be collected from biometrically enabled ATMs of Habib Bank in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Islamabad, and from those of Bank Alfalah in KP, AJK and GB.

April 11, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan announced the expansion of the Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye (EKBNS) programme to three major cities of Punjab and KP before the month of Ramadan. The upscaled EKBNS programme will serve free meals to labourers, daily wage earners and piece rate workers who cannot access Ehsaas Panagahs and Ehsaas Langars. Through a virtual groundbreaking ceremony, PM was joined by the Chief Ministers of KP, and Punjab together with Parliamentarians to inaugurate the EKBNS free food service via multiple truck kitchens in Peshawar, Lahore and Faisalabad. Each truck will feed 1500-2000 people daily on specified service points. The meals are cooked, stored and served from a truck kitchen.

April 9, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar was called on by Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Dr. Reza Baqir in Islamabad. The meeting discussed progress with regard to the planning and execution of the targeted commodity subsidy programme under the umbrella of Ehsaas. This was the second meeting in the month of April to flesh out modalities of the forthcoming programme.

April 9, 2021- Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a meeting with Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) to explore options for the potential street hawkers’ initiative under the Ehsaas framework. The meeting took place physically as well as virtually at the Ehsaas offices in Islamabad. At the meeting, Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary of the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division; Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Administrator MCI and Zia Banday, Focal Person on the Street Hawkers’ Initiative were also present.

Apr 8, 2021 – Islamabad: In a special launching event, Dr. Sania Nishtar unveiled the new Ehsaas’ standards for private sector orphanages. This is the first time not just in Pakistan but also across the Muslim World that such a historic initiative has been taken by the government for the welfare of orphans and deserving children. The aim is to minimize variation in the orphan care and to support private sector orphanages in raising their service standards nationwide. Predicated under the policy no. 37 of Ehsaas strategy, the 25-point living standards have been tailored to needs of orphan care centers. A stakeholder committee had been put in place under the umbrella of Ehsaas by Dr. Nishtar in 2019 to stipulate “Living Standards for Orphanages and Child Care Centers” in the country. The committee formally met 17 times last year, and after taking stock of the on-ground situation, finalized these standards which will now be notified and shared with provinces for endorsement. Full document can be accessed here.

Apr 7, 2021 – Rawalpindi: To commemorate the World Health Day 2021, Dr. Sania Nishtar visited the Ehsaas Facilitation Center in Holy Family Hospital (HFH), Rawalpindi to appraise operations of the Ehsaas Tahafuz that is currently in its pilot phase. During the course of the quick appraisal visit, Dr. Sania held a meeting with Ehsaas Tahafuz’s technical team of medical experts, hospital administrators and programme verifiers, took stock of the progress and gained firsthand insights for programme expansion later this year.  At the venue, Dr. Sania was welcomed by Dr. Shazia Zeb Medical Superintendent of HFH and her team. Alongside, Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) and other senior officials from Ehsaas Tahafuz team were also in attendance. Currently, the programme is patient centric and caters to one-time high health costs for those who lack ability to bear the heavy expenditures.

April 5, 2021: At the World Bank-International Monetary Fund annual spring meetings 2021, a webinar was held titled, ‘the IMF’s Engagement on Social Protection’, wherein SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to present Pakistan’s perspective on bolstering social safety nets. The event aimed to showcase the IMF, development partners, the WBG and member countries’ efforts to implement more effective social protection programs, strengthen social safety nets, and protect the most vulnerable from economic shocks and the potential adverse effects of reforms. Addressing the meeting, Dr. Nishtar highlighted Pakistan’s social protection policy initiatives- the aspiration and challenges and how the government of Pakistan demonstrated commitment to addressing them. Along with Dr. Nishtar, Roger Nord, Deputy Director Institute for Capacity Development, IMF; Antoinette Sayeh, Deputy Managing Director, IMF; Fernanda Brollo, Senior Economist, IMF; Brooks Evans, Economist, IMF; and Tanja Goodwin, Senior Country Economist, World Bank Group came to the table to launch a Capacity Development Talk on the IMF’s engagement on social protection, with a particular focus on Pakistan and Ecuador.

April 4, 2021 – Rawalpindi: Dr. Sania Nishtar visited ‘Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye'(EKBNS) food distribution point in Murree Road, Rawalpindi to review truck kitchen operations. At the venue, she inspected the quality of food and service and interacted with beneficiary men and women being served. Under the umbrella of Ehsaas, the concept of truck kitchens, EKBNS was launched by the Prime Minister on March 10, 2021 to serve free meal boxes twice a day to daily wage earners in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. On special instructions of PM, the programme is now being expanded to three other cities before the holy month of Ramadan. Across Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar, EKBNS mobile trucks carrying cooked food will visit the localities of labourers and hospitals to distribute free meals.

April 3, 2021 – Islamabad: With SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar in chair, the board approved the first of its kind Ehsaas’ secondary education conditional cash transfer (CCT) programme for deserving households to send their children to secondary schools. The programme will be rolled out nationwide across all districts in July 2021. The new programme has been structured along the lines of Ehsaas Stipends policy that allocates higher stipend amount for girls as compared to boys. This policy decision by the BISP board is an extension of Ehsaas’ primary education CCT, Waseela-e-Taleem Digital, expanding it to the secondary level.

April 3, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar keynoted a panel discussion titled ‘Sustainable Development: Inequality and Inclusive Growth’ that took place amongst UNDP Pakistan Resident Representative Knut Ostby, IBA Executive Director Dr. S. Akbar Zaidi, and SAPM on Revenue Dr. Waqar Masood. Speaking at the panel, Dr. Sania briefed about Pakistan’s social protection landscape, the role of the Ehsaas Programme, and some of the challenges that were addressed along the way. Further, she remarked that the programme was linked with the theory of change. She mentioned that digital capabilities established in 2019 as part of Ehsaas’ poverty alleviation framework were adopted to deliver Ehsaas emergency cash during the pandemic, in particular, a new biometric payment system.

April 2, 2021 – Islamabad: Special Assistant to the PM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Muhammad Hammad Azhar and Dr. Ishrat Hussain Advisor to PM for Institutional Reforms and Austerity came to the table to discuss the modalities of Ehsaas’ targeted commodity subsidy programme. Aiming to benefit the disadvantaged populations, the federal government is introducing targeted subsidies for Ehsaas beneficiaries through IT integration between Ehsaas and Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan.

Apr 2, 2021- Islamabad: Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Dr. Reza Baqir  called on Dr. Sania Nishtar at Ehsaas offices in Islamabad. The meeting discussed progress with respect to the planning of the upcoming Ehsaas’ targeted commodity subsidy initiative.

Apr 1, 2021: Dr. Sania Nishtar joined the high-level ministerial roundtable with Ministers from around the world as part of expert panel on “Financing SDG2: Addressing Hunger and Malnutrition in the wake of COVID-19”. The roundtable took place virtually at the World Bank Headquarters, during the World Bank Annual Meeting. Speaking in the panel, Dr. Sania outlined Pakistan’s current approach to malnutrition using the Ehsaas’ social protection lens. The expert panel brought together SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar and Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister of Finance, Indonesia; Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, Minister of Finance, Rwanda; Karina Gould, Minister for International Development, Canada; Dag-Inge Ulstein, Minister for International Development, Norway; Norbert Barthle, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany; and Atsushi Mimura, Deputy Director-General of the International Bureau, Ministry of Finance, Japan.

April 1, 2021 – Islamabad: The meeting of the Risk Management and Assurance Committee of the BISP board took place at BISP headquarters in Islamabad. The meeting was presided by SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar. This was the fifth meeting of the committee under the umbrella of Ehsaas. The members of the board committee joined both physically and virtually.

March 31, 2021 – Islamabad: The Trust for Voluntary Organisations (TVO) convened its 138^th board meeting under the umbrella of Ehsaas. Before the meeting, Dr. Sania Nishtar visited TVO and spoke to board members and management. Being one of the executing agencies of Ehsaas, TVO has been revitalized under the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division to execute initiatives under Ehsaas policy action number thirty-six. This policy action is specifically meant to run partnerships with NGOs to upscale successful programmes for the most marginalised segments. A 13-member Board of Directors governs the affairs of TVO. The Board consists of three ex-officio members i.e., representatives of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Affairs Division. Also included in the board are 10 individuals from the private sector who have distinguished themselves in any field of endeavour.

March 29, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Nishtar convened a virtual meeting with UNDP Pakistan to discuss options for more deeper collaborations between Ehsaas and UNDP Pakistan. From the UNDP side, Knut Ostby, Resident Representative; Aliona Niculita, Deputy Representative and Ammara Durrani, Assistant Resident Representative, Development Policy Unit came to the table. Additional Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division was also present.

March 29, 2021 – Islamabad: At the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, a meeting was held between SAPM Dr. Sania and SAPM on Establishment Shehzad Arbab to discuss the progress of Ehsaas. Dr. Nishtar briefed Arbab about the progress of Ehsaas Delivery Unit and Ehsaas’ dashboards to evaluate performance and transparency of Ehsaas programme and it’s executing agencies.

March 28, 2021- Islamabad: To ascertain which mode of communication is most beneficial for Kafaalat beneficiaries, Ehsaas conducted a telephonic survey over the weekend. Results indicated that the most beneficial route of communication with Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries is the 8171 SMS campaign. 87% of people attended the call, which was a good response rate. It was observed that in majority of cases, Ehsaas beneficiaries had access to phones in the house.

March 27, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar launched The Human Security Institute (THSI) that is a think tank of National and International competence working for the cause of Human Security at all cadres. A wide array of stakeholders and practitioners, academicians, civil-military, bureaucrats, members of business community and civil society, federal ministers, and diplomats from friendly countries participated in the ceremony. Dr. Nishtar was invited as a special guest and chair of the panel discussion on ‘Importance of Human Security in 21st Century’.

March 25, 2021: At the high-level panel discussion convened by International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), ODI and GIZ, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar presented a complementary policymaking viewpoint from Pakistan, based on her work overseeing large-scale social protection programme delivery during and prior to Covid-19 as the Special Assistant of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection. The panel brought together leading international experts to discuss the findings emerging from the ODI-GiZ study and wider evidence to share policy learning on adaptive social protection to date. Along with SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar, panelists included Francesca Bastagli, Director Equity and Social Policy, and Principal Research Fellow, ODI; Bessie Msusa, Chief Economist in the Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Division at the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Malawi; Lynette Maart, National Director, Black Sash, South Africa; Ugo Gentilini, Global Lead Social Assistance, World Bank; and Armando Barrientos, Professor of Poverty and Social Justice at the Global Development Institute, Manchester University.

Islamabad – March 24, 2021: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired a stocktake meeting for the Ehsaas Governance Observatory. The Governance Observatory was established in June 2020 to monitor adherence to the Ehsaas Governance and Integrity Policy, which was Cabinet approved in November 2019. Governance Observatory aims to review and improve governance systems and practices of all four executing agencies which are instrumental in implementing Ehsaas programs and initiatives. The purpose is to build systems that strongly discourage corruption, and to promote efficiency, transparency and accountability for results and compliance with rules. All four executing agencies of Ehsaas including BISP, PPAF, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal and TVO came to the table together with Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), Additional Secretary PASSD, and officials from Ehsaas Delivery Unit. Speaking to the press, Dr. Nishtar said, “Today, a new metric was also included in the framework of the Governance Observatory. We took a decision that no Ehsaas implementing agency will be allowed to get a post-facto approval on its budget.”

March 24, 2021-Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar along with senior Ehsaas officials joined a consultative meeting on the ‘Re-launching of Direct Cash’ with Centre for Economic Research in Pakistan, London School of Economics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The meeting discussed modalities for lump sum transfers, data on continuing and new eligible beneficiaries of various districts who are eligible for the graduation offer and relevant policy details.

March 22, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak on “Human and Food Security, Population Bulge & Poverty Alleviation in Pakistan”, at the National Security Workshop organized by Institute for Strategic Studies Research & Analysis (ISSRA), National Defence University (NDU). The workshop aimed to discuss and comprehend the dynamics of National Security of Pakistan. Participants of National Security Workshop included parliamentarians, senior civil and military officials, and prominent members from civil society.

Mar 22, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar made a visit to G-11 Markaz in Islamabad to interact with street vendors. The visit aimed to review street hawkers’ economy first hand and to realize the positive role and potential of street vendors in supporting poverty alleviation efforts. During the visit, street vendors informed Dr. Nishtar about various operational issues being faced by them in the market. Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Administrator Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad and Zia Banday, Focal Person Street Vendors’ Initiative were also present on the occasion. To improve the operating environment for street vendors through multi-stakeholder engagement, Ehsaas is collaborating with Islamabad Municipality, CDA and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE).

March 21, 2021- Kharmang: Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Khalid Khursheed opened Ehsaas Nashonuma Centre in Kharmang district of Gilgit Baltistan. In the first phase of Ehsaas Nashonuma programme, 48 Nashonuma Centres are being opened in 13 districts of the country at the district and tehsil level health facilities. Ehsaas Nashonuma is a three-year programme that is fully funded by the federal government of Pakistan. The programme is pegged on improving nutrition and health in the first thousand days of life, that is the most critical period in early childhood development, starting at conception and finishing at age of two. Every quarter, conditional cash-transfers are being provided to the poorest pregnant and lactating mothers and children under two years; Rs. 1,500 for a boy child and mother, and Rs. 2,000 for a girl child.

Mar 20, 2021 -Brazil: A new report released by the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) found that Pakistan’s innovative emergency cash programme helped avert an economic catastrophe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report titled, “What’s next for social protection in light of COVID-19: country responses” focuses on experiences from countries in Asia, including Pakistan, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Latin America and the Caribbean. The deep dive into social protection responses to the COVID-19 crisis highlights Pakistan’s efforts to tackle poverty amidst the biggest global crisis in more than a century and provides overall lessons for the future including shock-responsive and universal social protection. The report analyses how the COVID-19 pandemic was a watershed period for Pakistan in terms of government functioning: making it more agile, data-driven, experimental, and ambitious. The full report is available for download here.

Mar 19, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar spent an afternoon on site reviewing execution arrangements for the One-Window Ehsaas Physical Center. Senior officials and representatives from all Ehsaas executing and partnering agencies including BISP, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, Saylani Welfare International Trust, NADRA, HBL and Bank Alfalah were in attendance. All preparations are in final stages to soon open the first of its kind Ehsaas Center in Islamabad where all Ehsaas services will be available under one roof to facilitate the needy.

Mar 19, 2021 – Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar and Federal Minister Muhammad Hammad Azhar visited Utility Store in G-9 Markaz, Islamabad to witness the deployment of Ehsaas targeted subsidy pilot with Ehsaas recipients. Ehsaas and Utility Stores Corporation have been working together to integrate their IT systems so that they can identify Ehsaas beneficiaries and deliver targeted commodity subsidy to them. This is in line with the government’s commitment to make subsidies targeted to benefit the disadvantaged.

March 19, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the steering committee meeting of Waseela-e-Taleem Digital wherein the committee members and experts took a decision to roll out an education stipend programme for secondary education under Ehsaas. Through engaging discussions, the meeting took stock of existing secondary stipend programmes in the country. It was discussed that the upcoming programme for secondary school stipends will be designed and executed in close coordination with provinces to avoid duplications. Currently, there are 18.7 million out of school children, in the age group 6 to 16, in the country. According to Demographic and Health Survey 2017 (Kaplan and Meier estimates), dropout rate is highest for the poorest two quintiles in secondary education. Hence Ehsaas is working on a financial access to secondary education programme.

March 18, 2021- Islamabad: Dr. Sania Nishtar spoke at the Islamabad Security Dialogue 2021 on, ‘Instituting a human security paradigm’ organized by the National Security Division. The dialogue provided a platform for critical thinking and robust intellectual discourse on some of the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing Pakistan and the wider region. Alongside Dr. Nishtar, other panelists were – SAPM on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and CEO Centre for Learning Law and Business Ihsan Ghani.

March 18, 2021 – Islamabad: The government has taken a fundamental decision that subsidies should be targeted to benefit the poor rather than being untargeted. Previously, untargeted subsidy programmes contributed to increase in inequality. Under the untargeted subsidies, the benefits were enjoyed indiscriminately by both rich and poor. Hence, targeted subsidy programmes are more effective, as the benefit of subsidies flows exclusively to those in need. Currently, the federal government is introducing targeted subsidies for Ehsaas beneficiaries through IT integration between Ehsaas and Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC). Dr. Sania Nishtar visited the USC Headquarters and reviewed the final status of integration. Detailing in a press statement, Dr. Nishtar said, “I am very happy to see that the Information Technology teams of both USC and Ehsaas have worked very hard. The process of integration is now seamlessly working, and this will enable USC to identify Ehsaas beneficiaries giving them targeted subsidies on certain food items.”

March 17, 2021 – Islamabad: At the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the final meeting on the upcoming Ehsaas Private Sector Engagement Policy (EPSEP). The objective of EPSEP is to engage and facilitate non-government stakeholders to leverage their technical, financial, entrepreneurship and outreach support to amplify impact of Ehsaas. The policy highlights the types of support, the engagement model for each type of support, and the safeguards put in place to address risks of partnerships that may form under the agreement. EPSEP is applicable to five groups including private sector organizations (PSOs), non-government organizations, foundations, academia, and individuals. The policy covers the engagement process, governance, and monitoring and evaluation mechanism for different engagement types. “Ensuring integrity and transparency, EPSEP is premised on effective conflict-of-interest management”, said Dr. Sania.

March 15, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired a webinar on Sehat Sahulat programme which was organized by Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE). Speakers included Dr. Faisal Rifaq, CEO Sehat Sahulat Program, Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination; Dr. Shabnam Sarfraz, Member Social Sector, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives; Dr. Mahmood Khalid, Health Economist, PIDE; and Dr. Sara Rizvi Jafree, Assistant Professor, Forman Christian College, Lahore. The webinar aimed to examine the efficacy of Sehat Sahulat programme in terms of its structure, methodology for the identification of the poor, outreach, impact and challenges. “Ehsaas Tahafuz and Sehat Sahulat will work together towards the goal of Universal Health Coverage”, said Dr. Nishtar.

March 15, 2021-Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar met Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh at Finance Division in Islamabad. The meeting aimed to deliberate further on and flesh out details around the targeted commodities scheme. The targeted commodities scheme is currently being conceptualized in line with instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan to benefit the deserving households.

March 11, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was called on by H.E. Kuninori Matsuda, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan. The meeting took place at Ehsaas offices in Islamabad. Alongside, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Muhammad Ali Shahzada, senior officials from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and representatives of Japanese Embassy were also present.

March 10, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar said that Pakistani women are very talented, goal-oriented, and entrepreneurial. Therefore, she said, that the current government is taking multiple initiatives for enhancing their role in the development of the country. She said that many components of Ehsaas program are dedicated to empower women and uplift their living standards. She was addressing as chief guest at the International Women’s Day event organized by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI). Mishal Hussain Malick Chairperson Peace and Cultural Organization, Salma Marwat Khan Jeep Rally Champion, , Ayesha Gull ASP Traffic Police Islamabad, and large number of women from all walks of life including university students participated in the event.

March 10, 2021-Islamabad: A ground-breaking ceremony of ‘Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye’ (EKBNS) was held in the federal capital wherein Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated the two Ehsaas food trucks that would serve free cooked food at various points across twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad including public places, slums and hospitals. The meals will be cooked, stored and distributed from trucks’ kitchen. As per estimates, each food truck will feed around 2000 people daily. Food will be distributed 7 days a week, 365 days a year, two times a day. EKBNS is a new policy initiative of the federal government to eliminate hunger in the country. The initiative is an extension of Ehsaas Langar Policy and it aims to distribute cooked meals at designated delivery points to people in need especially those at risk of or experiencing hunger. PM congratulated the Ehsaas programme and Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal administration for the successful launch of the pilot initiative.

March 10, 2021 – Islamabad: With SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar in chair, Ehsaas convened a consultative meeting on, ‘Prospective Commercialization of the Specialized Nutritious Foods (SNFs) Policy’ with Ehsaas Nashonuma stakeholders. The meeting aimed to discuss the viability of commercialization of SNF. In the meeting, regulatory and fiscal hurdles were outlined and recommendations were discussed to manufacture and bring specialized nutrition food to the shelves of retail stores and pharmacies at affordable prices. Nutrition is multisectoral element of Ehsaas and commercialization of SNF is included in the Ehsaas strategy as Policy #65 ‘Specialized nutrition food made available for stunted and wasted children in a cost- effective manner’. The meeting brought together stakeholders from federal and provincial governments, the World Food Programme along with other international development partners, and private sector to provide technical inputs for SNF commercialization policy framework for Pakistan, including specific practical steps to bring SNF to all sectors of the market.

March 8, 2021: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak at the International Women’s Day webinar on, “Food Systems and Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” hosted by Food and Agriculture Organization. The event celebrated the tremendous efforts by women and girls around the world especially in sustaining food systems and better nutrition, shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Nishtar highlighted the Ehsaas 50% plus benefits policy to benefit lives of disadvantaged women and girls across all Ehsaas initiatives.

March 8, 2021: ‘Pakistani-American Women Leaders: Change-makers and Innovators’- virtual forum was convened by Pakistan’s Embassy in Washington DC. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was a keynote speaker at the forum. Dr. Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistani Ambassador in US hosted the event. Many eminent Pakistani American women participated in the webinar including Shaista Mahmood, Founder Pakistan Women Council; Shimmi Kidwai, Director, TCF USA; and Bushra Amiwala, Youngest Muslim elected official in USA amongst others. Ervin Massinga, Senior Advisor Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, US Department of State also spoke at the event.

March 8, 2021: Focused on ‘Women’s Leadership in Times of Crises’, an international webinar was hosted by Athena40, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar connected with women leaders live from the USA, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa to discuss the virtues of women’s leadership and how women can bring back trust, vision and accountability in a world that is so uncertain. Launched by the London-based non-profit Global Thinkers Forum, Athena40 is a platform connecting and recognising women from around the world. The Pakistan Panel was hosted by Ambassador Attiya Mehmood.

March 8, 2021: At the World Economic Forum’s virtual global event themed, “Women, Leadership and a Pandemic”, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar shared details about the gender responsive post-Covid Ehsaas Strategy in particular, higher stipend amount for girls under Ehsaas’ education and nutrition conditional cash transfer programmes. The session opened a discussion with the community of global shapers including Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Winnie Byanyima, Undersecretary-General of the United Nations; and Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA amongst others.

March 8, 2021: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak at the webinar around, ‘The Lancet Series on Women and Children Undernutrition Progress’. The session was organized by Aga Khan University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and International Center for Equity in Health. Panel reflected on The Lancet series’ findings and implications through distinct lenses, including COVID-19 response and recovery, food systems, and financing for nutrition. Dr. Nishtar shared the multisectoral Ehsaas approach to address health and nutrition, particularly Pakistan National Nutrition Coordination Council and Ehsaas Nashonuma to tackle nutrition and stunting issues prevailing in the country.

March 8, 2021- Islamabad: In a meeting at the PM House, the Prime Minister gave directions to proceed with the detailed conceptualization of a new programme under Ehsaas to target commodity subsidies. The meeting was attended by SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar, Minister for Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Minister for Industries Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Adviser to PM on Institutional Reforms Dr. Ishrat Hussain, SAPM Waqar Masood, Governor State Bank of Pakistan Dr. Reza Baqir, secretaries and senior officers of the relevant ministries. PM was given a detailed briefing on the proposed Ehsaas food stamp programme. Dr. Nishtar in the detailed briefing to the PM, informed about the methodology and contours of the proposed programme. Ehsaas’ direct subsidy programme aims to give financial assistance to the poorest populations so that they could buy essential items.

Islamabad – March 4, 2021: Aimed at setting up a collaborative framework for the forthcoming Ehsaas Street Hawkers’ Initiative, an MoU was inked in a meeting held at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) in presence of SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar between PASSD and a multitude of stakeholders. Under the terms of memorandum, Ehsaas has joined hands with Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA), Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) to collaboratively steer the design and execution of the Ehsaas Street Hawkers’ Initiative. The memorandum is centred on improving the ecosystem for street vending in Islamabad. According to conservative estimates, there are around 20,000 street vendors operating in Islamabad, who are generating annual net income up to Rupees 9.6 billion. Ehsaas’ support for street vendors is in line with Prime Minister’s vision of welfare state based on Riyasat-e-Madina model. In this regard, PASSD is collaborating with city authorities and research institute to organize street vending in a more sustainable manner.

March 2, 2021 – Islamabad: H. E. Nong Rong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan called on SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar. Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), Muhammad Ali Shahzada was also present. During the meeting, Chinese Ambassador and Dr. Sania discussed a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which is being framed between the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China and Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division of Pakistan aimed at establishing a platform for collaboration around poverty eradication. Speaking to the press after the meeting, Dr. Sania said, “We are working on the final details of the MOU. The Framework will provide both countries an opportunity to capitalize on sharing of experiences in poverty eradication.”

Feb 26, 2021 – Islamabad: At the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD), SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a final consultative meeting with all four executing agencies of Ehsaas to discuss the policy and roll out plan for the forthcoming One Window Ehsaas operations. Part of One Window Ehsaas Initiative, preparations are underway to open the first of its kind, ‘Physical One Window Ehsaas Center’ in Islamabad and inaugurate ‘Ehsaas Digital’ by end of March 2021. In this regard, Ehsaas is currently in process of structuring and integrating One Window Ehsaas, which is a single- service operation to avoid duplication and ensure improved access to multisectoral Ehsaas initiatives. The initiative comprises of ‘Physical One Window Ehsaas Centers’, interlinked Ehsaas services through Ehsaas e-portal, Ehsaas Android app, deployment of cognitive API architecture for data sharing, standardization of beneficiary targeting and alignment of program beneficiary populations.

Feb 25, 2021 – Islamabad: At the 13th International CSR Summit and Awards 2021 organised by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH), Ehsaas was conferred with Special Annual CSR Award 2021 for steering transparent Ehsaas Emergency Cash disbursements in 2020. The summit was inaugurated by SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar who was the chief guest. “I’m glad that almost half of the population of our country benefited from Ehsaas programme amid COVID-19,” Dr. Sania said, recalling how offices of the Ehsaas programme had remained open to dispense emergency cash assistance when almost all the country was closed as a part of the lockdown measures.

Feb 25, 2021 – Islamabad: Islamabad – February 25, 2021: With the new injection of Rs. 5 Billion to upscale Ehsaas Interest Free Loan (IFL) programme, being ploughed by the government of Pakistan, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a review meeting with the Ehsaas’ executing agency, Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF). Primarily, the meeting assessed the progress of the IFL in 110 existing districts and discussed the roadmap to upscale the programme across 28 new districts in lagging regions. Launched in July 2019, Ehsaas IFL is the country’s biggest programme for poverty graduation, which will impact 14.7 million vulnerable people in four years with half of them women including youth, persons with special needs, transgender, minorities and marginalised communities. Overall, Ehsaas interest-free loans worth Rs. 41.9 billion have been disbursed to 1.19 million borrowers so far, of which 45 percent are women across the country.

Feb 24, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar answered the frequently asked questions (FAQs) of Ehsaas beneficiaries in Radio Pakistan’s national broadcast, “Raabta”. The program is held every Wednesday to create awareness among public about the importance of ongoing Ehsaas survey and new enrolments under Ehsaas Kafaalat through survey. During the live program, Dr. Nishtar replied to questions of listeners who connected with her on telephone. She urged listeners to cooperate with the survey teams when they come at their doorstep for Ehsaas registration and share correct information. The program can be listened every week at 9 am. Listen here.

Feb 24, 2021 – Sargodha: Addressing a news conference in Sargodha, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar formally opened Ehsaas survey in the district. With the accelerated execution of the Ehsaas survey post-COVID-19, this was the fifth news briefing by Nishtar in a month. “The new Ehsaas survey has begun in all seven Tehsils of Sargodha while it is 70% ready nationwide and would realize by June 2021 to enrol 7 million households living in extreme poverty”, Dr. Nishtar said. Further, she urged district administration, government teachers and local media to create awareness about the survey among the public, stating that it is a free-of-cost and voluntary process and therefore, the people cooperate with the survey team by sharing correct and accurate information. Later, Dr. Nishtar visited the site of the survey in adjoining area of Sargodha to meet beneficiaries and enquired about the survey process and performance of enumerators. Full footage can be watched here.

Feb 22, 2021 – Islamabad: The steering committee for Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship met with the SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar in chair to stocktake the progress and approve the budget for the academic year 2020-21. In this regard, the committee approved a budget of Rs. 6.53 Billion for 67,000 need and merit based undergraduate scholarships nationwide. Members of the committee discussed that 111,685 undergraduate students (42,430 applications of girls) have applied for scholarships through online application portal which publicly closed for applications on Nov 30, 2020. The meeting also reviewed the field execution of the programme with 125 public sector universities. Dr. Nishtar emphasized to expedite the process for scholarship distribution and disbursements for the academic year 2020-21. The scrutiny of new applications is currently under-way and it is anticipated that final selection process will be completed by April 2021. The committee was informed that the portal will be re-opened for fifteen days in the second week of March 2021 to facilitate students from medical universities in the public sector.

Feb 18, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the stocktake meeting with Ehsaas Amdan implementing partners. The meeting virtually tracked the progress of Ehsaas Amdan being implemented in 388 rural union councils of 23 poorest districts across the four provinces. Last year in February, the Prime Minister had launched Ehsaas Amdan programme to enhance the livelihoods of downtrodden segments of society. In the meeting, target oriented detailed discussions took place with partners. All Amdan partners presented holistic overview of their respective performance along with the operational challenges being confronted by them in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. “Addition of new districts should be purely on already set criteria and according to human development ranking of the districts”, said Dr. Nishtar. She further emphasized the need to be responsive to the circumstances and needs of potential beneficiaries. Both Dr. Nishtar and Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) stressed the need to fast track progress.

Feb 16, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar joined the panel on ‘the Banking on Equality Policy’ hosted by State Bank of Pakistan. The virtual session held practical discussions amongst the participants to help fine-tune the policy and develop the future implementation roadmap in light of stakeholders’ feedback. Alongside Dr. Nishtar, other speakers on the panel included Governor State Bank Dr. Reza Baqir, Deputy Governor State Bank, Sima Kamil and Chairman Nadra Usman Yousaf Mobin The Banking on Equity Policy is State Bank of Pakistan’s  flagship policy initiative for introducing a gender lens within the financial sector through targeted measures to bring a shift towards gender friendly business practices, and improve women’s financial inclusion in the country.

Feb 15, 2021 – Islamabad: Payments to new Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries who are being enrolled through the ongoing Ehsaas survey have commenced last week. To create awareness among masses in this regard, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar has released a series of 40 beneficiary centered videos on twitter. These instructional videos will provide information and guidance to public, facilitating them to participate in Ehsaas. In the talking head videos, Dr. Nishtar has answered frequently asked questions (FAQs) in simple language. In particular, videos describe the FAQs of public, including details of new Ehsaas survey and outline process of enrolments and payments to new Kafaalat recipients. The video release is available on the official twitter handle of Dr. Nishtar; @SaniaNishtar.

Feb 12, 2021 – Islamabad: Under the chair of SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar, Technical Design Committee of Ehsaas met to discuss important agendas relating to One-Window Ehsaas, graduation bonus for girls enrolled in the primary education under the conditional cash transfer programme, Waseela -e-Taleem Digital and Indexation Policy of Ehsaas Kafaalat. The meeting took place at Ehsaas offices in Islamabad with members of the Design Committee.

Feb 12, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar met with the Advisor Establishment, Shahzad Arbab to apprise him of efforts being done under Ehsaas to track delivery against performance contracts with the Prime Minister, and the digital dashboards and delivery unit ecosystem that have been developed to enable it. Shahzad Arbab lauded the data and technology centered social protection initiatives launched under Ehsaas to ensure transparency and integrity.

Feb 11, 2021 – Lahore: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar opened the Ehsaas survey in Lahore that will be accomplished by June 2021. Addressing a media briefing, Nishtar said that an ongoing survey for the Ehsaas programme is currently 70% complete in the country, adding that 7 million deserving households are being brought into the fold of Kafaalat through the fully transparent survey. “Ehsaas survey is being executed in Lahore based on a hybrid approach. With the transparency and integrity at its core, the survey is being rolled out in collaboration with provincial government of Punjab, Punjab Education Department and district administration Lahore. Ehsaas partnering firm, SDPI will provide technical assistance to 1,350 teachers from provincial education department Lahore who are being trained to serve as enumerators”, said Nishtar while describing the survey approach. Full footage can be watched here.

Feb 11, 2021 – Lahore: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar sat with students of University of Education in Lahore who were awarded Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship in 2019-20 and sought their feedback on the scholarship policy. The consultation created an open platform to exchange ideas on how students in need can increasingly benefit from the merit and need based scholarships of Ehsaas. Dr. Sania also responded to several questions of students with regard to Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship programme. Ehsaas Scholarship recipients from Lahore appreciated that the programme has financially supported large number of deserving students to access undergraduate education. In 2019-20, around 1,700 students (51% girls) from University of Education were awarded the Ehsaas scholarship.

Feb 10, 2021 – Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Kallar Syedan Tehsil of Rawalpindi to witness Kafaalat enrolment and to interact with the new beneficiaries. PM, sitting under an old Banyan tree along with the beneficiaries of Kafaalat, said that the financial assistance was aimed at easing up the difficulties of deserving people. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar in a briefing to the PM said that 68 per cent of the Ehsaas survey had been completed in the country, which would be finalized by June. 7 million deserving beneficiaries who are being identified through the new survey will be given Rs. 2,000 a month on a continuing basis, to assist them with their basic needs. Women beneficiaries of Kafaalat namely Nasreen Bibi, Allah Rakhi, Amina Bibi and others on the occasion talked to PM and expressed gratitude that Ehsaas programme is proving helpful in mitigating their financial ordeal.

Feb 4, 2021 – Islamabad: In a special meeting chaired by SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar, the standards for private sector orphanages were approved. This is the first time that such an initiative has been taken. Pakistan has a very vibrant philanthropy sector and there are a number of orphanages in the private sector which have mushroomed all over the country. However, there is no consistency in services provided in these orphanages and the care provided is of varying quality. Taking cognizance of this, Ehsaas strategy had stipulated under its policy no. 37 that standards would be developed for orphanages. For this purpose, a committee was established in 2019. The committee was headed by Chairperson Khubaib Foundation and all major NGOs hosting orphanages were members of the committee in addition to Parliamentarians. The committee held 17 formal meetings and 70 side sessions. The meeting formally approved standards and it was decided that these standards will be notified for all orphanages in the federal area and will be shared with provinces asking them to implement.

Feb 2, 2021 – Islamabad: BISP has exited an additional 29,961 individuals from its list of beneficiaries, following the data cleaning exercise 2020 under Ehsaas Governance framework. In a tweet, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar revealed that additional 29,961 individuals have been made ineligible for receiving the cash assistance as per availability of more data in 2020. Among those removed from the BISP list of beneficiaries included 15,326 pensioners, 273 government employees, 9,991 high income individuals (as documented by FBR data) and 4,371 employees of autonomous agencies (as per data of 30 out of 74 agencies), Dr. Nishtar disclosed. Earlier in the year 2019, BISP exited 820,165 individuals from its beneficiaries’ list out of which 142,556 were government servants.

February 1, 2021 – Peshawar: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was accompanied by H.E. Christian Turner, British High Commissioner; Najy Benhassine, Country Director World Bank; Xiaohong Yang, Country Director Asian Development Bank; Julien Harneis, UN Resident Coordinator; Androulla Kaminara, Ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan; and Lire Ersado from the World Bank on the visit to Khyber Tribal District and Peshawar, where they took stock of the multisectoral Ehsaas interventions and met beneficiaries. The foreign delegation had expressed an interest to see multi-sectoral Ehsaas interventions in the field. The visit began with the inauguration of Ehsaas Nashonuma Center at Civil Hospital in Jamrud, Khyber Tribal District. Dr. Nishtar formally opened the Nashonuma centre with a curtain raising. Following it, the delegation visited a survey site in outskirts of Peshawar to oversee the digital registration of the local household through Ehsaas survey. Later, the delegation also joined the children and their mothers in Peshawar to witness new enrolments of deserving children in Waseela-e-Taleem Digital. The high-level delegation was especially inspired by the success of the Ehsaas programme that was completed in one and a half years’ time and were fascinated by its transformative characteristics they saw in in KP.

Jan 29, 2021 – Sahiwal: Addressing a media briefing in Sahiwal, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar said that an ongoing survey for the Ehsaas programme is currently 28% complete in Sahiwal Division and 47.7% complete in Punjab, adding that deserving and destitute people are being brought into the fold of Kafaalat through the fully transparent survey. “No fee for the Ehsaas survey is being charged”, she added. Further, Dr. Sania said that foundation of the Ehsaas programme has been laid purely on non-political basis and the first six months of 2021 would be a milestone for the welfare of deserving people. The Ehsaas survey will conclude in June 2021 nationwide. Later, she also interacted with newly enrolled Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries along with awardees of Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship and borrowers of Ehsaas Interest Free Loan. SAPM Shahbaz Gill, Secretary BISP and Vice Chancellor University of Sahiwal also joined the media briefing. Full footage of the briefing can be watched here.

Jan 29, 2021 – Sahiwal: Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed a public gathering in Sahiwal and launched few development projects. Amongst other engagements, he also interacted with Ehsaas beneficiaries. At the site, PM distributed cheques of Ehsaas interest free loans and Ehsaas undergraduate scholarship among the selected number of deserving beneficiaries and students from Sahiwal Division. Governor Punjab and Chief Minister Punjab were also present at the occasion. Addressing the ceremony, PM said that Sahiwal would be provided best facilities in the fields of health, education, road infrastructure and social welfare. “Since its launch in March 2019, the different initiatives of Ehsaas including Kafaalat, Waseela-e-Taleem Digital, undergraduate scholarships, interest free loans and several others have been implemented in Sahiwal Division to uplift the marginalized populations”, he added. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar said that Ehsaas programme is totally apolitical and Rs. 179 billion emergency cash had been disbursed in the country last year under Ehsaas, with 504,000 households benefiting in Sahiwal Division.

Jan 27, 2021, The ‘Ehsaas Tahafuz Facilitation Desk’ was officially opened by SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar at the Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, the pilot site for Tahafuz. Dr. Sania was joined by Dr. Muhammad Umer VC of Rawalpindi Medical University, Dr. Shazia Zeb Medical Superintendent of hospital, Muhammad Ali Shahzada, Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) and other senior officials from Ehsaas team. “It is such a pleasure to open the first of its kind initiative in the country that aims to cover catastrophic health expenditures for deserving patients. Tahafuz will cover the cost of pre-approved treatment packages”, said Dr. Sania. Currently, Tahafuz is in the pilot phase and is being implemented collaboratively with the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi to identify patients facing catastrophic health expenditures, who are not covered by Sehat Sahulat Card or are in hospital not enrolled in Sehat Sahulat programme; they are assessed by the system, and if eligible, will be provided funding by allocating donations to the patient.

Jan 27, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar will be reaching out the wider national audience every Wednesday through Radio Pakistan’s live program, “Raabta”. The program aims to educate people about the objectives, approach and status of Ehsaas survey and Ehsaas Kafaalat. Dr. Sania will reply to questions of listeners who can connect with her on telephone by calling directly at 051-9206995 and 051-9215206. Talking to people in today’s program, Dr. Sania said, “Ehsaas is conducting a door-to-door survey all over the country so that data can be gathered about the socioeconomic status of households. Ehsaas survey is currently 65 percent complete in the country and is progressing smoothly to accomplish by June 2021. According to the Ehsaas policy, the results of survey will facilitate proper targeting of 7 million poor households for Ehsaas Kafaalat.” The program can be listened every week at 9 am. Listen here.

Jan 25, 2021- Mardan: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar made a visit to Women University Mardan to hold a policy dialogue with Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship awardees of 2019-20. She was warmly received by the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Ghazala Yasmeen and faculty members. More than 100 young girls participated in the dialogue, which provided a space to exchange ideas on how young girls from rural areas can increasingly benefit from the Ehsaas’ merit and need based scholarship. Dr. Sania also answered a number of questions related to details of Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship program. Last year, 400 girls from Women University Mardan had applied, out which 124 were awarded the Ehsaas scholarship. Overall, 50,762 students have benefitted from the Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarships worth 4.9 million in 2019-20. In total, 200,000 scholarships would be awarded over the four years to deserving students in 125 public universities. It represents a paradigm shift in the government’s scholarship policy.

Jan 25, 2021 – Mardan: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar addressed a press conference with local media reporters, journalists and district administration to brief them about the ongoing Ehsaas poverty census in the area. “Ehsaas poverty survey currently stands 71% ready in Mardan, 45% in KP and 65 percent in the country and successfully continues to accomplish by June 2021. Once the Ehsaas survey gets finalized, the enrollment of new Ehsaas beneficiaries will be based on eligibility verification from the new database”, shared Dr. Nishtar. She also acknowledged the provincial government, district administration and police department for their support and cooperation. Accelerating the pace of Ehsaas poverty census, a new model has been deployed in KP to conduct the survey in partnership with provincial education department. Through an android based application, the survey teams are collecting the data of households at the doorstep. Later, Dr. Nishtar visited a survey site in Gujar Garhi area of Mardan to review the demo of the survey. She also interacted with the survey team and a native household being surveyed in the local setting. Full footage of the press conference can be watched here.

Jan 21, 2021 – Islamabad: The President Dr. Arif Alvi convened a meeting to expedite the process of registration of the differently-abled. He said that the existing procedure of certification and registration was quite slow and cumbersome which needed to be simplified for the facilitation of the differently-abled people. For Ehsaas, this is an important step in the process to grant Ehsaas Kafaalat stipends to the eligible differently-abled. The meeting was attended by the SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM on National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, Dr. Faisal Sultan, Chairman NADRA, Usman Yousaf Mobin, and senior officials of the Ministry of Health. Dr. Sania briefed the meeting that the survey on the disabled under the Ehsaas programme would be completed by the end of June 2021. The Chairman NADRA shared that over 339,000 differently-abled persons had been registered with NADRA.

President Dr Arif Alvi being briefed about initiatives being taken for the Persons with Disabilities, at Aiwan-e-Sadr, on 21-01-2021

Jan 21, 2021 – Islamabad: The second meeting of the Ehsaas Tahafuz Steering Committee was chaired by SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Based on the recommendations of ‘Poverty Expert Committee’ for Tahafuz, the members of the steering committee discussed and approved the beneficiary eligibility determination mechanism; treatment packages to be covered; and selection of service provider hospitals in line with programme assessment criteria for expanding Tahafuz pilot. The committee also directed to expedite the process for the development of ‘Ehsaas Catastrophic Health Expenditure Policy’ that is currently in the pipeline to dovetail Tahafuz with the Sehat Sahulat programme of the government. The Tahafuz Steering Committee has the mandate to provide managerial and strategic oversight to the Tahafuz programme.

Jan 21, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar inaugurated the ‘Ehsaas Tahafuz Project Unit’ that has been established to manage the execution of Ehsaas Tahafuz. As part of institutional arrangements for effective programme management and implementation, the Ehsaas Tahafuz unit is housed in Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division. At the occasion, the team working on the Tahafuz pilot phase also briefed Dr. Nishtar on the progress of the programme. A 12-member team has been hired following hiring procedures of the government to fulfil the technical demands of the programme. “Ehsaas Tahafuz Project Management Unit is an important element in institutional arrangements and a crucial determinant of efficiency in Tahafuz programme delivery. It includes transparent mechanisms put in place for the purpose of coordinating, planning; financial management; procurement and provision of technical and implementation support”, said Dr. Nishtar.

January 20, 2021 – South Waziristan: Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to South Waziristan launched Ehsaas Kafaalat programme in the district and reviewed the status of first-ever digital survey in the district. The Ehsaas National Socioeconomic Registry (NSER) survey based on which the Ehsaas Kafaalat and many other stipends will be given to deserving people in the district has already commenced on January 9, 2021.“Ehsaas enumerators are going house-to-house with tablets to collect district-wide information”, said SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar while briefing PM on the status of Ehsaas survey. “This is the first time the population of South Waziristan will benefit from a transparent and rule based social protection program. Over 25 percent population of the district will benefit from Ehsaas in 2021.”, she further added. Later, PM also oversaw payment to select number of Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries through Ehsaas’ digital payment system.

Jan 20, 2021 – Bangkok: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to keynote the virtual launch of the Asia and the Pacific Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition 2020. The report is a joint effort of FAO, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. Other eminent speakers included Emorn Udomkesmalee, Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University and Chair of the IFPRI Board of Trustees; Minister of Agriculture, Solomon Islands; and John Aylieff, Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, WFP. Addressing the launch event, Dr. Sania said, “The response to the pandemic in Pakistan has been multi-sectoral. We must ensure a holistic approach to address nutrition and expand safe access to high-impact programmes.” After discussing the most recent data on SDG2 indicators, the report focuses on the special theme of maternal and child diets, and the importance of using a systems approach to improve those diets. Full report can be accessed here.

January 19, 2021 – Islamabad: The Cabinet Committee for the procurement of coronavirus vaccine gave briefing to the PM about measures being taken to ensure the supply of vaccine in current quarter of this year. Minister for Industries Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Minister for Planning Asad Umar, Special Assistant for Health Dr. Faisal Sultan and Special Assistant for Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar attended the meeting. The Prime Minister directed to speed up measures for the procurement and supply of the approved coronavirus vaccines.

Jan 18, 2021 – Islamabad: President Dr. Arif Alvi hosted a seminar at Aiwan-e-Sadr to promote exclusive breastfeeding, which is the most cost effective way to address malnutrition and is highly supportive for Ehsaas Nashonuma programme. “If a newborn baby is given breastmilk within the first hour of life, it increases his chances of survival and good health, acts as a natural vaccine against diseases, and is regarded as nearly perfect mix of nutrients by physicians. This is the best care that can be provided to our children during their initial days,” Dr. Alvi said. Aside from President Dr. Alvi and SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar, the event was attended by Dr. Faisal Sultan, UNCEF Country Director Aida Girma, National Programme Manager of the Nutrition Program Dr. Baseer Achakzai, as well as noted parliamentarians, representatives of UN organizations, civil society, media, and social activists. Speaking at the event, Dr. Sania highlighted how the Ehsaas programme, through its 48 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres is contributing to fulfilment of the nutritional needs of children in Pakistan.

Jan 17, 2021 – Islamabad: In preparations for the upcoming Street Hawkers’ Initiative under Mazdoor ka Ehsaas, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar spent this weekend speaking to hawkers in Islamabad to gain policy insights. She took a round of the small roadside markets in Islamabad, met the hawkers and people present there, and enquired about their problems. “People’s voices are important for effective policy design and implementation”, she said. During interaction, Dr. Sania also apprised hawkers about the Ehsaas Interest Free Loan programme launched by the government for the graduation of poor.

Jan 16, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a consultative meeting at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) with all four executing agencies under the stewardship of Ehsaas to develop a collaborative perspective on standardized beneficiary targeting that is one of the components of One Window Ehsaas. Along with Secretary PASSD, Mohammad Ali Shahzada, MD Pakistan Bait ul Mal, Aon Abbas Buppi, and CEO of PPAF, Qazi Azmat Isa attended the meeting. Under the Ehsaas framework, social protection programmes are delivered through respective executing agencies and Ehsaas strategy stipulates that their impact can be maximized through integrated beneficiary service delivery.

Jan 15, 2021 – Rawalpindi: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar inaugurated the Ehsaas survey in Rawalpindi that is being rolled out under the teacher based model. To kick off the survey, Dr. Sania held a press conference with the media and local government teachers at DC Office Rawalpindi to brief them on the end-to-end digital approach and progress with regard to the Ehsaas survey. “This is the first ever computer aided survey that continues in various districts across the country to enrol deserving households in Ehsaas. Overall, the survey is currently 63 percent complete and is progressing smoothly to accomplish by June 2021”, said Dr. Sania. Later, she also visited a village in Tehsil Kahuta of Rawalpindi along with survey team to witness the digital enrolment of a family in survey. At the site, she also interacted with women, listened to their issues and assured full cooperation.

January 13, 2021 – Islamabad: The new Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan, Khalid Khurshid called on SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar at Ehsaas Offices in Islamabad. He expressed keen interest to scale up the Ehsaas Nashonuma model of centers across all Tehsils of the province. After the call, they also had a workshop to discuss the next steps for collaboration under Ehsaas Nashonuma.

January 13, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the eligibility committee meeting of Ehsaas Tahafuz. The committee discussed and revised the eligibility ceiling with regard to the policy on protection against catastrophic health expenditures under Tahafuz programme.

January 12, 2021- Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a meeting with Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) to flesh out details of the potential street hawkers’ initiative under Ehsaas. The meeting took place at the Division of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety. At the meeting, Secretary of the Division and Mayor of Islamabad were also present.

January 12, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar inaugurated the Ehsaas Delivery Unit (EDU) in Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) that has been established to track the cadence of delivery across several components of Ehsaas programme. The unit was formally opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Secretary of the Division, Muhammad Ali Shahzada together with EDU team was also present at the ceremony to kick off the new unit. “The EDU will also track implementation of the goals and targets established under the “Performance Agreement” recently signed with the Prime Minister”, said Dr. Sania. EDU is a dedicated unit to lead delivery of Ehsaas strategy. The unit’s overall mandate is folded into four key functions including programme’s strategic roll out, monitoring and evaluation, data analytics, advisory support, and communications and stakeholder engagement, among others. Following Government of Pakistan’s policies and procedures, a relevant team has been hired in the unit to coordinate cross ministerial, interprovincial and intersectoral implementation of Ehsaas.

January 11, 2021 – Islamabad: A meeting was held with the team working on Ehsaas Data4Pakistan portal at the Ehsaas premises. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. The meeting discussed next steps for strengthening and quality enhancement of the district development portal. Under the umbrella of Ehsaas, Data4Pakistan is the first initiative of its kind in the country that provides open and public access to a spatial interactive portal that has poverty estimates for every district in Pakistan, along with over 120 development and policy indicators.

January 11, 2021 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the introductory meeting of Ehsaas Nashonuma steering committee at Ehsaas’ premises. At the meeting, two federal ministries and six provincial ministries came to the table along with Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the World Bank, World Food Programme, World Health Organization, Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, Federal Expanded Programme for Immunization, PPAF and Nashonuma operations team from BISP. The steering committee members were briefed on the progress of Ehsaas Nashonuma programme that is being implemented in partnership with the provinces and World Food Programme. Alongside, the steering committee’s ToRs, strategic avenues for scaling up the programme, lessons from the first phase, priorities for quality enhancements, adaptations and integrations introduced in the design and roll out of the programme were discussed. 48 Ehsaas Nashonuma Centres across 13 districts are being established countrywide at the district and Tehsil level health facilities to provide all the services under one roof through the programme.