Stakeholders to be taken in confidence for new census: PM

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday all stakeholders would be taken into confidence for the new census.

Talking to a delegation of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), comprising Information Technology Minister Ameenul Haq, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Senator Faisal Sabzwari, the prime minister said that under the present government, all institutions were independent.

During the meeting, also attended by Planning Minister Asad Umar, matters relating to census and the ongoing federal government projects in Sindh were discussed. Imran said that the use of electronic voting machines would bring in transparency in the electoral process.

He said that there was a need for creating awareness about the positive effects of electronic voting machines on electoral process in Pakistan.

The participants viewed that the government and allied parties together were playing effective role for development in Sindh particularly in Karachi. The delegation appreciated the prime minister for federal government’s projects for improvement of public transport and infrastructure in Karachi.

Separately, Prime Minister Imran attended a briefing given by Special Assistant on Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar about the provision of targeted subsidies to the eligible families under the umbrella of Ehsaas programme.

On the occasion, Imran said that the government was cognisant of the problems facing the poor due to inflation and stressed that targeted subsidies should be provided to the under-privileged segments of the society.

According to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office Media Wing, Imran stressed that the Kamyab Pakistan, Sehat Sahulat Cards and Ehsaas were the flagship programmes of the government aimed at poverty alleviation and social uplift of the lower segments of the society.

The briefing was also attended by Finance Minister Shukat Tarin, Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Special Assistant Dr Shehbaz Gill, State Bank of Pakistan (EBP)

Governor Dr Raza Baqir, the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) president and senior officers.
The prime minister directed that a comprehensive awareness programme should be launched to inform the masses about how to avail the targeted subsidies.

The meeting was informed that the Ehsaas programme had developed a mobile app in collaboration with the NBP, which would be used by vendors to provide subsidised items to eligible Ehsaas beneficiaries throughout the country.

Meanwhile, Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) Chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Muzammil Hussain called on the prime minister and briefed him about the progress of various development projects, including Diamer Bhasha and Mohmand dams.

Also, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Sardar Azhar Tariq called on the prime minister and apprised him of the prospects of economic diplomacy with the Central Asian region, especially Kyrgyzstan. Imran directed the ambassador to strengthen regional linkages for the promotion of bilateral trade and commercial relations with Kyrgyzstan.