Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday condemned the Sindh government for not participating in the Rs106.1 billion Ehsaas Ration Programme (ERP) starting from Dec 31 and lamented that people of the province will not avail benefits of the programme aimed at providing relief to 20 million inflation-hit people in the country. On the other hand, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told Dawn that Balochistan had agreed to join the programme. Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are already taking part in the programme. Sixty-five per cent cost of the programme will be borne by the provinces while the Centre will contribute 35pc. Under the programme, a subsidy of Rs1,000 will be given to 20m beneficiaries on purchase of three consumer items — pulses, edible oil/ghee and wheat flour. “The prime minister strongly condemned stubborn attitude of the Sindh government for not participating in the social welfare programme depriving people of the province of its benefits,” the information minister said. He said Prime Minister Khan during recent inauguration of the Green Line Bus project in Karachi had asked the Sindh government to bury political differences and join the programme, but the provincial government was bent upon rejecting it. “When people from other parts of the country will get benefit of Ehsaas Ration Programme, people of Sindh will remain deprived of it,” he added. Mr Chaudhry said earlier Balochistan was reluctant to join the programme but now Chief Minister Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo had assured the Centre that his government would participate in the scheme. Under the programme, pulses, flour and edible oil/ghee will be available on subsidised rates for the registered persons at Utility Stores, superstores and thousands of designated general/grocery stores across the country. A subsidy of Rs22 will be given on flour, Rs105 on ghee and Rs55 on pulses. The Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government’s spokesman Saeed Ghani asked why the provincial government would contribute Rs17bn to the programme launched by the federal government. Talking to Dawn, he said instead of going for a hectic exercise of providing ration subsidy, the Centre should have given additional Rs1,000 to existing beneficiaries of Ehsaas programme. “We don’t have any extra money to contribute our share in the programme,” Mr Ghani said. When contacted, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar, who is supervising the Ehsaas Ration Programme, said the stance of the Sindh government was illogical because if the province had a system to provide relief to the people, it should itself launch such a programme and in that case it would be justified to refuse the Centre. She said launching the programme, meeting rules and regulations and providing subsidy to the people at their nearby grocery stores was not an easy job. Regarding Saeed Ghani’s suggestion to provide additional Rs1,000 to the beneficiaries of Ehsaas programme, Ms Nishtar said most of the people had demanded subsidy on grocery items, therefore, the ration programme was being launched to provide some relief amid high prices of food items. “Before approving the ration subsidy programme, the federal government also considered providing additional Rs1,000 to the registered beneficiaries but it rejected the option because the number of registered Ehsaas beneficiaries is 6m and Ehsaas Ration Programme will provide benefit to 20m people,” she added. Earlier, presiding over a meeting, Prime Minister Khan said the government had introduced the largest ever poverty alleviation and social protection programme in the country’s history. The meeting reviewed the ongoing welfare, social protection, poverty alleviation and basic health projects. About health insurance card, the PM said the Naya Pakistan Sehat Card was a unique health insurance facility which was unprecedented in the world. The meeting was given a briefing on the health card and Ehsaas Ration Programme. It was told that starting from January next year, all families in Punjab would get free medical treatment facilities of up to Rs1m a year. The participants were also apprised of the progress on the provision of subsidy to the low-income group under Ehsaas Ration Programme. While briefing on Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye, Langar Khana and Panahgah initiatives, the meeting was told that the projects were providing relief to the daily wagers, particularly during the winter season. The meeting was also briefed on Kamyab Jawan Programme, Naya Pakistan Housing programme and Sports Drive programme, besides discussing the coming local government elections in Punjab. The prime minister expressed satisfaction over the ongoing welfare projects and called for their completion within the stipulated time. Federal Ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Shafqat Mahmood, Hammad Azhar and Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Senator Saifullah Niazi, MNA Amir Mahmood Kiani, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid attended the meeting. In a separate meeting, Prime Minister Khan said the regulatory authorities had a pivotal role to play for protection of rights of the people. “The regulators have to protect public interest by ensuring effective monitoring and compliance of the legal and regulatory requirements,” he said. Source: The Dawn

BNP’s Member of Parliament (MP) in reserved women seat Rumeen Farhana said, 300 MPs of the ruling party become angry when I stand to speak in the parliament. I will speak about my party and they will speak about them. But when I stand to deliver my speech the whole parliament becomes angry, if they become arrogant then how will I deliver my speech? She said these while taking part in supplementary budget discussion in the Jatiya Sangsad on Sunday. At that time Deputy Speaker Advocate Fazle Rabbi Mia was chairing the session. He said to Rumeen Farhana, I would request you not to deliver such speech that made other party angry or hinder the parliament session. Then Rumeen Farhana said, when we came to the parliament then the leader of the house said that we could deliver our speeches. Parliament members will hear that with patience. I could not deliver single minute speech of my two minutes allocated time in a peaceful manner on the first day. The same happened even today. If that would continue then about which democracy we are speaking? About supplementary budget she said, the capability of this government is decreasing slowly. We only can implement 76 per cent of our budget. We never can collect the targeted revenue which is huge in size. Criticizing Election Commission Rumeen said, it is clear from local government to national election that how they conduct election. She said, ask your conscience that how many people were elected through direct votes of people. If you have conscience you will get the answer. We were promised to speak in the parliament and for that we have joined the parliament after knowing that this is not an elected house. Because, we are not allowed to organize meeting. I thought that I could speak in the parliament. But the ruling party MPs have no patience to hear my words. Rumeen Farhana said, there are laws and courts in the country. But there is no rule of law. For that reason the human rights organizations are saying that 450 extra judicial killing took part in the last one year. A civilized country cannot run in this way. AH        

‘BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia has got angry over filing cases one after another against her. It is hard to release her from jail without government will,’ said Khaleda Zia’s lawyer Khondoker Mahbub Hossain. His comment came in when he came out of old central jail in Nazimuddin road after visiting Begum Khaleda Zia on Thursday. Khondoker Mahbub Hossain said, Khaleda Zia is being implicated with cases one after another. It is impossible to release her without government’s will. Earlier four lawyers of Khaleda Zia entered the jail at around 4 pm. The lawyers were- Advocate Khondoker Mahbub Hossain, Advocate AJ Mohammad Ali, Advocate Masud Ahmed Talukder and Advocate Sanaullah Mia. On February 8 judge of Dhaka special judge court 5 Dr. Akhtaruzzaman awarded five years imprisonment to BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia in the Zia Orphanage Trust graft case. After delivering the verdict she was brought to the old central jail in old Dhaka and still is imprisoned there. AH

Popular film actor Omar Sani has got very angry at an online news portal that published confusing news of his death. In response to this he said in a video message that he is doing well at the moment. Again, at 3:45 pm on Friday Omar Sani appeared before Facebook live and said, ‘Everybody has to die. Those who published such false news also have to die. I thought to take legal action. But Moushumi told me that let the matter drop and nothing needs to be done in this regard.’ He also said that those who controls and gives registration such ‘fake’ news portals should take measures to cancel their licenses. Naming an online portal Omar Sani said, ‘I demand cancellation of this portal. Otherwise I will take legal action against such portals if they continue to publish such news.’ About his sickness Omar Sani said, ‘I am doing well at the moment. On Monday I went to my friend Dr. Saiful for my regular check up. They told me to perform angiogram. Then four heart blocks were detected. Later rings were placed there. With the blessing of Allah I am very well at the moment.’ Omar Sani directed nearly 60 dramas for television in his career. He helped a number of artists and directors to build their career. People from film arena inquired about him but nobody associated with television inquired following his sickness. Under the circumstance he said, ‘I have no complain to anybody. But I would feel good if they inquire about me in such crucial period.’  AH