News Analysis |
In an interesting move, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has approved a social protection framework for the vulnerable segments of the society. The framework reportedly has been designed to address the challenges of poverty, health, stunted growth, education and would enable the youth to realize their potential and extricate themselves out of the generational poverty traps.
PM Khan has been focusing on improving the lives of people from humble backgrounds since the time he assumed the highest executive office. PM Khan was chairing a meeting of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) when he approved the said framework.
“I have asked CM Punjab to set up tents for people sleeping on footpaths and provide them food until the Panah Gahs (shelters) are built, as the weather is turning increasingly cold,” the prime minister said in a tweet.
In Pakistan, the child mortality rate is high due to unavailability of proper health facilities. Many children face problems in their mental growth due to improper food available to them. PM Khan made it clear during his maiden speech that his intention was to address such core problems of Pakistan.
The EAC meeting was attended by Minister for Finance Asad Umar, Minister for Planning Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Adviser to PM Dr Ishrat Hussain, former State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor Syed Saleem Raza, Lahore School of Economics (LSE) Professor Dr Naved Hamid, economist Sakib Sherani, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) Associate Professor Dr Faisal Bari, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Asad Zaman, Sustainable Development Policy Institute ED Dr Abid Qayyum Sulehri, SBP Governor Tariq Bajwa, Secretary Finance Mr Arif Ahmad Khan, IERU Advisor/Executive Director General Dr Khaqan Hassan Najeeb and other senior officials.
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This galaxy of scholars and policy experts reportedly gave their constructive inputs to develop people-friendly policies to make Pakistan a genuine participatory democracy. The PTI-led government has assured the masses to generate economic activity to provide jobs to the large scale of youth across the country.
According to media reports, the EAC also agreed to focus on acceleration of under-utilized areas, including agriculture, housing, small and medium enterprises in terms of incentives, reliance on export-oriented and labor-intensive growth, reversal of anti-export bias, enhanced system automation and use of technology, transparency in trade regime, facilitating importers, job creation through skill development, ease of doing business through business-friendly environment while focusing on productivity and moving on technology sophistication.
The government had identified five spots in Lahore for construction of shelters what the prime minister had said would be turned into centers of excellence.
It is worth mentioning here that the PTI-led government has completed its first 100 days. The focus of PM Khan remained on macroeconomic challenges. He visited Saudi Arabia, China, UAE, and Indonesia in order to seek economic support, and expand and deepen economic ties with these countries. PM Khan remained successful in achieving his intended goals while paying visits to the said countries.
PM Khan who repeatedly maintains that his agenda is to empower economically disempowered segments of Pakistani society has recently directed the government in Punjab to provide shelters to homeless people so that they could sleep peacefully in cold winter.
“I have asked CM Punjab to set up tents for people sleeping on footpaths and provide them food until the Panah Gahs (shelters) are built, as the weather is turning increasingly cold,” the prime minister said in a tweet. Political commentators, analysts, and even his political opponents acknowledged the decision of the PM and appreciated such humane action.
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Moreover, on November 10, the premier had broken ground for construction of Panah Gah in Lahore to provide a roof to those who spend their nights out in the open. The government had identified five spots in Lahore for construction of shelters what the prime minister had said would be turned into centers of excellence. This is a welcome move for the protection of homeless people in Lahore.