A six-member delegation led by Hossein Anvari, Head of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation (IKRF) called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf at Prime Minister's House on Wednesday. Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Farzana Raja was also present on the occasion.
Hossein Anvari briefed the Prime Minister on the history, objectives and working of IKRF. Anvari informed the Prime Minister that IKRF was the first organisation established by the spiritual leader Ayatullah Khomeini soon after the revolution. He said that IKRF is not owned by the government of Iran but enjoys its support. The representative of the spiritual leader normally heads the organisation, he added.
Dilating upon the objectives of the organisation Anvari said that it encourages Islamic values and especially family values which include encouraging education, helping widows and children. He informed the Prime Minister that during the visit to Iran Federal Minister and Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Farzana Raja agreed to enhance co-operation with IKRF and establish training and vocational centres in Pakistan.
Anvari said that during his present visit IKRF and BISP agreed on a memorandum of understanding to share their experiences. The IKRF delegation also had the opportunity to see for itself the devastation caused by floods in Pakistan. Welcoming the Iranian delegation, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said that Iran and Pakistan are not only good neighbours but share historical, cultural and religious ties as well.
Praising the work and performance of BISP which he termed as Pakistan's flagship programme to help the poorest and weaker section of society, he expressed the confidence that both the organisations would benefit by sharing their best practices. The Prime Minister said BISP is presently extending social safety net to nearly six million families and its work has been acclaimed internationally. The Prime Minister expressed the hope that IKRF would work together with BISP to further their shared objective of providing succour to those "who really need our help".-PR
Comments
Comments are closed.