The federal government has disbursed till to date Rs44.194 billion during the last seven days to 3.692 million deserving families under Ehsaas emergency cash transfer programme and started payment to male beneficiaries in category 2 from Thursday with most of them daily wagers.

Dr Sania Nishtar, Prime Minister's Special Assistant on Social Protection stated that Ehsaas Emergency Cash program has commenced disbursements to the second category of beneficiaries to all of them who have been enrolled through 8171 SMS service.

They were declared eligible based on their profile checks in the national socio-economic database as well as the wealth profiling checks. She visited the cash distribution campsite at IMCG located at G-10/4, Islamabad and interacted with beneficiaries who had come to collect their payments.

Each one of them had a customized message on their phone addressed to them with their names to visit the nearest payment centre on April 15, 2020 and collect emergency cash handout of Rs12,000.

Briefing the media about these Ehsaas category-2 beneficiaries in need, Dr Nishtar stated, "Each one of these beneficiaries was either the wife of a labourer whose livelihood has been badly affected by the coronavirus crisis or is a domestic helper herself who has been laid off by the employers. Without any food, they are at the brink of running out of food rations. So, these Rs12,000 come to them at a very critical time."

Dr Nishtar also spoke to the retailers and informed them about the cabinet's decision yesterday on the waiver of advance withholding tax on commission collected under Section 233 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 from branchless banking agents.

She urged them to do an effective crackdown against corruption. The Ehsaas Emergency Cash payment notifications will go to new Ehsaas Emergency Cash recipients registered through 8171 in a staggered manner over the next seven days.

In the initial batch, women would get payments and in next batches, men will start getting payments. The analysis of 83.61 million SMSs received was underway and the deadline for registration is April 19, 2020 midnight.