Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has increased the volume of Ramazan Package from Rs7.5 billion to Rs12.5 billion, and directed for enhancing its outreach to facilitate the masses during the upcoming holy month.

Along with Utility stores and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), mobile units would provide edible items at subsidised rates, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release on Sunday.

In the initial phase, 1,200 mobile points and 300 permanent relief centres will be established. The prime minister wishes that maximum relief should be extended to the poor. Besides, designated points, trucks would also supply foodstuff to different areas. On March 7, the prime minister announced a Rs7.5 billion subsidised Ramazan package.

A total of 39.6 million people would be provided food items during the holy month at rates subsidised by 30 percent.

The items under BISP included flour, rice, pulses, ghee, sugar, syrup and milk. The subsidy on flour would be Rs77 per kg and on ghee Rs70, respectively.

Separately, Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday thanked President of the Maldives Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wikremesinghe, Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina for their congratulatory messages on his election as Prime Minister.

In separate posts on X, the prime minister thanked the President of the Maldives and said that Pakistan remained committed to deepening its relations with the Maldives.

Similarly, in another post on his X account, the prime minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ for his letter of felicitations on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

“Look forward to working closely with him to realize the true potential of cooperation between Pakistan and Nepal,” he further posted. In a related post, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in response to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s congratulatory message, said that he looked forward to working with her to further strengthen the Pakistan-Bangladesh relationship. To a message of felicitation from President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wikremesinghe, the prime minister said that he was confident that relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka would continue to grow from strength to strength during the days ahead.