-Asks nation for generous donations
-Vows to continue struggle against hunger, poverty
-‘Ehsaas Koi Bhooka Na Soye’ to now also operate in Peshawar, Lahore & Faisalabad
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday that the government would expand the network of kitchen trucks and health coverage across Pakistan, saying these measures would uplift the underprivileged and help the country prosper.
“We have now initiated this facility in Peshawar, Lahore, and Faisalabad, and this network will now see its expansion in the entire country,” the premier said.
His remarks came as he addressed a ceremony marking the expansion of the ‘Ehsaas Koi Bhoka Na Soye’ programme, aimed at distributing free food to daily-wage earners, in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
“We can only emerge among the comity of developed nations if we take steps for the welfare of the underprivileged,” the premier stated. A programme like this, he noted, will bring the bounties of the Almighty on the country, and will help the country prosper.
PM Imran reiterated that it was the responsibility of the state to uplift the underprivileged and deserving segments of the society.
“In the next step, we will expand the net of hospitals across the country, with people being able to benefit from the facilities through the health card,” he added.
“It is our responsibility to provide universal health coverage under a system across Pakistan,” PM Imran added. Fulfilling these responsibilities will also set the path for us to bring justice to the country and ensure supremacy of law in it, the premier concluded.
The premier addressed the inaugural ceremony virtually in view of the third wave of Covid-19. Chief ministers and parliamentarians of K-P and Punjab were a part of the conference.
The food trucks inaugurated under the programme will provide free food to 1,500 to 2,000 people every day through the designated points. The programme will benefit the daily-wage earners and lower class workers who don’t yet have access to Ehsas shelters and charities. PM Imran inaugurated the service on March 10 for the daily-wage earners of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. So far, 37,827 people have been provided food, with the service now being extended to three more cities.
Those, who do not have access to Ehsas shelters or charities are to be benefited in the said districts. The Ehsas Koi Bhoka na Soye programme is PM Imran’s vision for the year 2021.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Saylani Welfare Trust on Sunday called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and offered its cooperation in expanding Ehsaas initiative of ‘Koi Bhooka Na Soye’ to various areas of the country.
During the meeting, PM Imran Khan appreciated the services of the trust in Ehsas Langar Khanas and Koi Bhookha Na Soye programme and assured the delegation of all possible facilitation from the government to expand this initiative. The delegation comprised Bashir Farooq, Afzal Chamdia, Manzar Alim, Farrukh Ameen, Yousaf Lakhani and others.
Earlier today, Prime Minister Imran Khan had said that he had full faith in people to help make the government’s “Koi Bhoka Na Soye” programme a success like they generously helped make Shaukat Khanum a success.
Addressing a ceremony held to mark expansion of the “Koi Bhoka Na Soye” (No one goes to bed hungry) programme to three cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad and Peshawar, he had said the have-nots will benefit from it.
“The philanthropists can help the government in expanding this programme,” the PM had said.
Agencies add: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar Sunday formally inaugurated the “Koi Bhuka Na Soye” programme in Lahore on Sunday.
The programme has initially been launched in two cities of Punjab Lahore and Faisalabad. He launched the project by cutting a ribbon and sent the food trucks on four different routes of the provincial capital.
The Route-1 of Lahore was from Thokar Niaz Beg to Data Darbar, which caters to people at Multan Chungi Mandi Stop, Chowk Yateem Khana and Chowburji. Route-2 included Circular Road, Railway Station, Dou Moria Pul, Badami Bagh Auto-parts Market, Masti Gate, General Bus Stand, Sabzi Mandi and Niazi Chowk. Route-3 will cover Garhi Shahu, Co-op Store, Shalamar, Darogay Wala and Shadipura, whereas, Route-4 has areas including Lakshmi Chowk, Mayo Hospital Chowk, Shah Aalam Market, Dalgaraan Chowk and Dehli Gate.
As many as 10,000 lunch boxes will be distributed daily on these routes. Moreover, two trucks will distribute 10,000 lunch boxes daily at famous areas of Faisalabad.
The CM said that feeding others is a Sunnah as well as the tradition of Punjabis. He added that the Punjab government has initiated the programme in Punjab by following PM Imran Khan’s “Koi Bhuka Na Soe” project. Four trucks in Lahore and two in Faisalabad will provide lunch and supper respectfully to the destitute, especially labours and passengers.
The CM said that hygienic and quality Iftar will also be offered to the people on these same routes during the holy month of Ramazan.
