Nov 27, 2020 -Islamabad: Prime Minister visited the Ehsaas Kafaalat Payment site at Jinnah Sports Complex in Islamabad to kick off payments to 7 million beneficiaries. SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar briefed the PM about several measures that have been taken to improve the quality of payments and to ensure protection against cyber-attacks. This time round, women can access banks and take money out from ATMs. The Ehsaas Kafaalat payment will be made in phases. Phase-I has commenced today where payments would start for 4.3 million women beneficiaries. Each beneficiary will be paid Rs. 12,000 covering the period Jul-Dec 2020. PM has already given approval to increase this number to 7 million women. Payments to additional beneficiaries will be made Dec 2020 onwards and the process will be completed in the current fiscal year. During the visit, the PM was also shown the trial run of the operations of “Ehsaas One Woman One Bank Account”. From next year onwards, Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries will have the option of either drawing their money or saving money into digital wallets.

November 26, 2020: Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation held a virtual meeting with Gerda Verburg, Coordinator and UN Assistant Secretary-General, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting discussed several important matters related to Nutrition. The SUN Movement Secretariat is based in Geneva and is responsible for liaising with SUN Countries and ensuring the catalytic spirit of the Movement is embedded in the efforts of all actors.

November 25, 2020: Aga Khan University Institute for Global Health and Development hosted a webinar on Women in Science and Global Health. Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation was invited to speak at the webinar alongside Anita Zaidi Professor, Division of Women and Child Health, AKU and President of Gender Equality, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The event was moderated by Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, distinguished University Professor & Founding Director, Institute for Global Health and Development, Aga Khan University.

Nov 25, 2020 -Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar was invited to speak as a guest of honour at an event hosted virtually by UNICEF Pakistan. The theme of the event was, “Together for babies born too soon – Caring for the future.” Speaking at the event, Dr. Sania shared details about the recently launched Ehsaas Nashonuma programme with a view to building synergy. Other speakers included Dr. Nausheen Hamid from Ministry of National Health Services Regulations and Coordination, Prof. Dr. Irfan Waheed Head of Neonatology at Children’s Hospital Lahore, Prof. Dr. Syeda Batool Head of Gynaecology at PIMS Islamabad, Prof. Dr. Rubina Sohail Head of Gynaecology at Services Hospital Lahore and Aida Girma Country Representative UNICEF Pakistan.

Nov 25, 2020 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar along with senior official of Ehsaas connected with Chief Secretary KP and Provincial Minister of Education KP in a high-level virtual meeting. The meeting discussed progress and constraints with regard to the Ehsaas survey underway in KP under the new model. “With regular stocktakes, the already good momentum of the Ehsaas Survey will accelerate further”, commented Dr. Nishtar. She also thanked the KP government for all their support and facilitation in the execution of the Ehsaas survey across the province.

November 24, 2020 – Islamabad: The BBC has revealed its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020. This year 100 Women is highlighting those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times. This is an absolute honour for Pakistan that this year’s BBC list includes SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar, who leads Ehsaas programme along with Sanna Marin, who leads Finland’s all-female coalition government and Sarah Gilbert, who heads the Oxford University research into a coronavirus vaccine. This distinction has been conferred upon Dr. Sania for her work and contribution in poverty alleviation, global health and development. “The dramatic impact of Covid-19 presents us with a once-in-a-generation chance to build a fairer world and bring an end to poverty, inequality and the climate crisis. For this, women must be equal, empowered stakeholders”, said Dr. Sania. The list of BBC 100 Women can be accessed here.

November 23, 2020 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar met with UNDP Pakistan team led by Tariq Malik, Chief Technical Advisor on Digital Governance. The meeting aimed to think through ways in which digital interventions can help Ehsaas in improving quality of Ehsaas survey data, case management, and grievance redressal systems.

Nov 23, 2020 – Islamabad: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar convened a half-a-day meeting with Secretary Yusuf Khan to review the three year technology transformation plan for Ehsaas program. The technology transformational plan was presented by the new DG technology. The review meeting took stock of the progress so far and discussed clear milestones for the next three years.

Nov 21, 2020 – Peshawar: SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar together with Ehsaas team officials visited Peshawar today to track Ehsaas Survey interventions rolled out three months back as part of the new survey model in KP. While in the provincial capital, Dr. Nishtar was briefed about the progress of an ongoing Ehsaas National Socioeconomic Registry Survey operations in various districts of KP including Malakand, Karak, Tank, D.I. Khan, Bannu, Hangu, Kohat, Swabi and Peshawar. Following the briefing, she went to an Ehsaas Survey site at Sikandarabad, Peshawar to oversee the ongoing Ehsaas survey activities. At the site, she witnessed the Ehsaas survey demonstration with  a local household and made an appeal to families across the country. “Please collaborate with survey staff when they come to your houses and help them access data, which becomes the basis of the socioeconomic status and that determines eligibility/entitlements with regard to the Ehsaas program”, she said.

Nov 21, 2020 – Peshawar: Ehsaas’ partnering bank, Bank Alfalah had organized a series of technical training sessions this week for their retail agents in KP, GB and AJK. This training was part of preparations for the upcoming tranche of Ehsaas Kafaalat to be released next week. The training sessions basically aimed to train the Bank Alfalah retail agents to better execute digital payments to Ehsaas beneficiaries in the field. To connect with the bank’s retail agents from the field, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar visited a training site in Peshawar. During the visit, she interacted with the Bank Alfalah staff and retail agents and listened to their experiences with regard to the biometrically enabled Ehsaas Kafaalat disbursements in the field. Dr. Nishtar advised retail agents to ensure utmost transparency in making cash disbursements to the Ehsaas Kafaalat families. Bank Alfalah is responsible for Ehsaas disbursements to Kafaalat beneficiaries in KP, GB and AJK.

Nov 20, 2020 – Islamabad: Ehsaas’ partnering bank, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) had organized a series of technical training sessions this week for their Konnect retail agents in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. This training was part of preparations for the upcoming tranche of Ehsaas Kafaalat to be released next week. The training basically aimed to train the HBL Konnect retail agents to better execute digital payments to Ehsaas beneficiaries in the field. To connect with retail agents from the field, SAPM Dr. Sania Nishtar visited a training site in Islamabad. During the visit, she interacted with the HBL staff and Konnect retail agents and listened to their experiences on the biometrically enabled Ehsaas Kafaalat disbursements in the field. Dr. Nishtar advised retail agents to ensure utmost transparency in making cash disbursements to the Ehsaas Kafaalat families. HBL is responsible for Ehsaas disbursements to Kafaalat beneficiaries in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.