Overseas Pakistanis: PM sends out SOS for donations

Prime Minister Imran Khan has appealed to the overseas Pakistanis to contribute towards the "Prime Minister's COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Fund" as the country's poor people need their support in this hour of crisis.

In the message broadcast on Monday, the prime minister stated that "I would like to give a message to all overseas Pakistanis that Pakistan is facing very challenging situation with poverty increasing after the spread of [the] coronavirus leading to lockdown of the country."

He added that the lockdown across the world and the coronavirus were having a serious impact on the lives of the poor in the form of increasing poverty in the country.

Khan said that Pakistan did not have the kind of resources compared to the developed world.

The US with over 300 million people injected $2.2 trillion in its economy to support its people, while Pakistan with a population of 220 million could only provide a relief package of $8 billion, he said.

The prime minister said that Germany and Japan with half of the population size compared to Pakistan's had given $1 trillion each. "So, I want all of you to contribute to the relief fund as the country needs you," he appealed, while expressing the hope that with the help of overseas Pakistanis and the "tiger force", the country would win the fight against the coronavirus.

Later, the secretary Finance briefed a meeting chaired by the prime minister on implementation of the relief package in response to the coronavirus.

He apprised that Rs25 billion had been released to the NDMA, Rs6 billion been released for expansion of shelter homes network, and Rs144 billion for providing relief to the vulnerable.

The meeting was further informed that Rs50 billion was set aside for the Utility Stores Corporation, Rs70 billion for providing relief to the people on petroleum products, and Rs15 billion for relief in taxes on food items out of which Rs10 billion had been utilised. The managing director gave a detailed briefing to the meeting on the Ramazan Relief Package.

The meeting was also informed that Rs100 billon has also been set aside for providing relief to the people on electricity and gas, and Rs100 billion for exporters, besides Rs200 billion for providing relief to the daily wagers.

The prime minister also inaugurated Tele-School Channel being launched for education to the students from grade-1 to grade XII.

He deplored that a large number of students were out of school and the country was lagging behind in education and health sectors.

The prime minister expressed his confidence that the Tele-School Channel would contribute to increasing literary rate in the country.