Daily Times

As many as 13 new Ehsaas model Panagahs will be established in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Balochistan to provide shelter to the destitute and helpless people. This was revealed by the newly formed Panagah Advisory Council during its first meeting held Wednesday at Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) Headquarters. The new Panagahs to be established included three in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Gujranwala districts of Punjab; four in Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan districts of KP; three in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur districts of Sindh; and three in Washuk, Noshki and Kharan districts of Balochistan. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation Senator Dr Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting on Prime Minister’s special directives. In line with PM’s instructions, a sixteen-member Advisory Council of Ehsaas Panagahs has recently been formed under the umbrella of Ehsaas. The Advisory Council has been assigned the mandate to provide valuable oversight on policy and strategic direction, institutionalization of audit and accountability systems, improving the quality of delivery, scalability, and sustainability of Ehsaas model Panagahs. The meeting of the Advisory Council was held in two sessions. The first session featured comprehensive orientation on the structure and standard operating procedures of Ehsaas Panagahs followed by a visit to Panagahs in Mandi More and Tarlai areas of Islamabad.

“Panagahs’ (shelter homes) is one the Prime Minister’s priority programmes. Panagahs not only provide shelter to the labourers but also a two-time meal for them. To facilitate daily wagers, 22 Panagah facilities have been built up so far under Ehsaas countrywide”, Dr. Sania said while speaking on the occasion.