Reports of panagahs, Ehsaas program, Sehat Card closing down 'baseless'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb has termed reports regarding closure of Ehsaas program, panagahs [shelter homes] and Sehat Card program as baseless.

While rejecting the reports, Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has clearly stated that public welfare projects of the previous government will continue.

The Benazir Bhutto Income Support Program will continue as usual and will be further expanded, she said and added, “the prime minister has further announced to educate people through the BISP.”

She further said that the Sehat Card program will continue and rather they will bring improvement in it. “All those projects aimed at public welfare will be further improved,” she said and blamed the members of the previous government for launching propaganda against their closure.

بے حس اور کرپٹ ٹولے نے حکومت حاصل کرتے ہی بےسہارا اور نادار لوگوں کے لیے جاری پناہ گاہیں اور لنگر خانے بند کرنے کا فیصلہ کیا

جیسےپاکستانی قوم کو #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور ہے ویسےہی پناہ گاہیں بند کرنےکا فیصلہ بھی نامنظور ہے

پنجاب میں کوئی پناہ گاہ یا لنگر خانہ بند نہیں کیا جائےگا

— Usman Buzdar (@UsmanAKBuzdar) April 15, 2022

In September 2021, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Panagahs (shelter homes) have nothing to do with politics but are aimed at serving the destitute.

Presiding over a meeting in Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan called for a special attention to be paid to the shelter homes visited by a large number of homeless people.

He maintained that shelter homes are aimed to save the dignity of poor labourers who were compelled to sleep on the streets before their establishment.