K-P govt's Ramzan relief package faces delay

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government's eagerly awaited Ramzan relief package for low-income families has failed to roll out as planned, sparking criticism from opposition parties, traders, and even some within the ruling coalition over the lack of transparency and delays in implementation.

The provincial cabinet had approved the initiative to provide financial assistance to deserving households during the holy month, with priority given to widows, orphans, daily-wage laborers, and persons with disabilities. The package, involving cash transfers of around Rs12,500 per eligible family, aims to ease the burden of rising essential commodity prices amid inflation. It targets over one million families province-wide, backed by billions in allocated funds.

However, with the first 10 days of Ramzan already passed, distribution has not yet begun. Reports indicate that beneficiary lists are being compiled by local government representatives, municipal councilors, and members of the provincial assembly affiliated with the ruling party. Critics allege this approach risks favoritism and politicization of aid, with claims that selections favor party loyalists rather than strictly merit-based criteria through established welfare systems.

The government has dismissed such accusations as propaganda, insisting the process remains transparent. Focal person to the Chief Minister, Yar Muhammad Khan Niazi, explained that data on eligible individuals is still being collected via the Zakat Management System.