Imran to launch Ehsaas Kafalat cards today

Quaid’s picture cards meant to depoliticise the safety net, says SAPM Sania Nishtar

Prime Minister Imran Khan will on Friday (today) launch the new Kafaalat programme, which will provide Rs2,000 as monthly cash payments to around seven million women in the country who form some of the poorest sections of the population.

A statement on Thursday said that the new Ehsaas Kafaalat card will carry a picture of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It added that the previous safety net initiatives under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) were mired in politics because images of political figures were used. By putting the Quaid’s picture on the card, the incumbent government had settled the matter once and for all and has depoliticised the matter of safety nets.

Coming under the umbrella of the Ehsaas Programme, Kafaalat will realise the prime minister’s longstanding commitment to “Money for Rations” and “One Woman, One Bank Account”.

All beneficiaries of the programme will be able to access their payments at special ATMs and bank branches and will also have the option to deposit funds into a savings account.

“There are major differences between the earlier BISP and Kafaalat,” said Special Assistant to PM on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar. “Major changes have been made after 10 years.”

The last survey was 10-year old, so was the payment system. Now, a new procurement process and the new payment system has been installed, she said.

Friday’s launch will change the lives of millions of poor women, SAPM said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2020.