Nov 29, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM has announced an extension in the last date to submit scholarship applications for the year 2021 till Dec 31, 2021. Earlier, Nov 30, 2021 was the last date for the online submission of applications. Given the delays in admission process at several public sector universities in the country, the last date for Ehsaas scholarship applications has been extended to enable maximum number of deserving students to apply for this opportunity. Since the reopening of portal in the last week of Sep 2021, as many as 77,210 applications have been submitted and 23,740 application cases are in process of submission. 135 public sector universities recognized by Higher Education Commission are part of this programme. Students enrolled in 4 to 5-year undergraduate programmes of public sector universities are eligible to submit applications for the year 2021. Eligible students can apply through an online portal: https://ehsaas.hec.gov.pk/.

Nov 29, 2021 – Islamabad: The 53rd board meeting of BISP took place at the BISP headquarters in Islamabad. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the meeting. The board took several important decisions regarding the conditional and unconditional cash transfer programmes of Ehsaas. Since Dec 2018, when Dr. Sania took over as a board chair, 24 BISP board meetings have been held and all board sub-committees are regularly meeting in line with the Ehsaas Governance and Integrity Policy. The board meeting was attended by Senior Joint Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Secretary BISP and senior officials from the Finance Division, Economic Affairs Division, NADRA and private sector. BISP is one of the 34 executing agencies of Ehsaas.

Nov 26, 2021 – Peshawar: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM went to Peshawar to brief KP Parliamentarians on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat Registration. The meeting took place at KP Assembly Secretariat. Speaker KP, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, Deputy Speaker KP, Mehmood Jan, Finance and Health Minister KP, Taimur Saleem Jhagra and senior officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) were also present in the briefing. Speaking to Provincial Parliamentarians, Dr. Sania urged them to support Ehsaas in registering Kiryana shops and deserving families provincewide. She comprehensively explained the registration and operational modalities of the Rashan programme. Dr. Sania also thanked the KP Government for their participation in the programme. Like other participating provinces, Ehsaas and KP are sharing the cost in the proportion of 35:65. Parliamentarians lauded the transparency measures hardwired in the programme and ensured full cooperation to create awareness on the execution of programme.

Nov 26, 2021 – Islamabad: The NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) hosted Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, to deliver a talk on “Poverty Alleviation and Empowerment through Ehsaas Programme” at the university’s main campus. Dr. Sania, who is also a distinguished member of NIPS Advisory Council, expounded the theory of change behind the Ehsaas programme that incorporate an all-encompassing approach towards capacity building of millions of underprivileged households. She elaborated that the Ehsaas programme is fully aligned with Prime Minister’s vision of a welfare state, adding 142,000 scholarships were awarded to students in two years across Pakistan. Earlier in his welcome remarks, Engr Javed Mahmood Bukhari, Rector NUST and Patron NIPS, stated that Ehsaas is, by far, one of the most comprehensive poverty alleviation and social safety programmes, comprising multiple initiatives. Later, Dr. Sania interacted with awardees of Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship at NUST. Currently, 600 recipients of Ehsaas Scholarship are studying in NUST.

Nov 25, 2021 – Lahore: To create awareness on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat registration, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar visited Lahore. The visit was part of Ehsaas Rashan 30 City Tour. 25 cities have been covered, so far. Making an appeal to enroll more and more deserving families and Kiryana shopkeepers for Ehsaas Rashan, Dr. Sania sat with local media and Parliamentarians of Punjab in Lahore. She was also joined by Arif Usmani, President, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari, Minister for Social Welfare and Bait ul Maal Punjab, senior officials of NBP and Ehsaas. Dr. Sania also called on Chief Minister Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar. The meeting discussed federal-provincial collaborations under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. Later, Dr. Sania convened a press conference on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat at 90, Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information and Special Initiatives, Hasaan Khawar; Minister for Social Welfare and Bait- ul-Maal Punjab, Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari; and President NBP, Arif Usmani were also present. The visit concluded with the visit to a local Kiryana store in Shadman market to register it under the Ehsaas Rashan programme.

Nov 24, 2021 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM together with President National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Arif Usmani visited a local Kiryana shop in Taramri, Islamabad. The visit aimed to raise awareness among the Kiryana shopkeepers to register their shops under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. Dr. Sania also explained that the authorized Kiryana shopkeepers will deliver the subsidy to eligible families through mobile point of sale (mPOS) app. Later, she held a press conference on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat at NBP Regional Headquarters in Islamabad. At the press conference, she was joined by President NBP, print and electronic media and All Pakistan Traders’ Association. Press Conference can be watched here.

Nov 22, 2021 – Islamabad: Easing out the registration process, Ehsaas has opened 8171 service for enrollment of families under Ehsaas Rashan Riayat. To educate masses about the registration process, Dr. Sania Nishtar has released an instructional video. “Families earning less than Rs. 50,000 a month can register themselves under the Rashan programme of Ehsaas. Only one member of an applicant family whose cell number is issued on his personal Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) can enroll his family either through 8171 SMS service or the web-portal. For registration through 8171, the same member of a family can SMS his/her CNIC number to 8171”, said Dr. Sania in a video. Kiryana shopkeepers can only register through the web-portal: https://ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk/. Based on insights from Dr. Sania’s field visits to 24 small cities, Ehsaas has opened the 8171 SMS service to facilitate the enrollment of deserving families with limited or no access to internet.

Nov 18, 2021 – Dera Ismail Khan: On the third leg of Ehsaas Rashan Tour to 30 cities, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM covered 10 small cities and towns around Attock, Chakwal, Mianwali and Dera Ismail Khan. Last weekend, she visited 14 small cities and towns along the G.T. Road from Jhelum to Peshawar. During the visit to Fateh Jhang, Talagang, Lawa, Moosa Khel, Purani Kiri, Mianwali, Kundiyan, Saidaliyan, Rangpur Adda and Dera Ismail Khan, Dr. Sania was joined by senior officials of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Ehsaas and district administrations. Speaking to retailers, trader associations, and public in each of the small cities and towns, Dr. Sania guided them that Kiryana owners from all over the country can register themselves exclusively via online Rashan portal: ehsaasrashan.pass.gov.pk that is open for registration till next two weeks. Dr. Sania also convened two press conferences on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat with the local press and electronic media in Mianwali and Dera Ismail Khan. In the press conference held at Dera Ismail Khan, she was also joined by Ali Amin Gandapur, Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Nov 17, 2021 – Islamabad: Alternate US Executive Director to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), John Hurley visited Ehsaas. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM and Secretary Ismat Tahira briefed him on over 288 social protection programmes, initiatives, and policy reforms under Ehsaas. Hurley appreciated Ehsaas for touching the lives of almost half the country’s population during COVID-19 crises. He also commended the governance and integrity reforms of Ehsaas to ensure transparent operations. Hurley also reassured the ADB’s commitment to support Government of Pakistan for further strengthening and upscaling of myriad Ehsaas’ operations nationwide. Earlier this week, Hurley went to Peshawar and Taxila to witness Ehsaas registration desks, Ehsaas Cash payments and others. He expressed satisfaction over the transparent enrollment and delivery mechanisms of Ehsaas. Along with Hurley, Country Director ADB Pakistan, Yong Yi, Asad Aleem, Principal Energy Specialist, Omer Bin Zia, Senior Economic Officer, ADP Pakistan. From Ehsaas’ side, DG Noor Rehman, DG Naveed Akbar, DG Tariq Mehmood and DG Meer Anwar were also present in the meeting.

Nov 16, 2021 – Islamabad: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Nong Rong called on Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM to explore avenues of collaboration in poverty alleviation. On the Cooperation for Poverty Alleviation in the field of commerce, the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD) of the Government of Pakistan and Ministry of Commerce of China are entering a memorandum of understanding (MoU).The MoU has been approved by the Federal Cabinet on October 27, 2021 and will be inked soon between China and Pakistan. The meeting discussed the implementation arrangements of the MOU. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners. Under the MOU, both the countries will enhance cooperation and exchange of experience, especially in the context of poverty reduction, through leveraging potential for commerce. The Chinese side is led by Ministry of Commerce and Pakistan’s side by PASSD.

Nov 16, 2021 – Dubai: Dr. Sania Nishtar keynoted a seminar on Financial Inclusion hosted by the Bank of Punjab at Dubai Expo 2020. In the flagship talk of the session, Dr. Sania enlightened the audience on government’s priorities to lift people out of poverty towards sustainable livelihoods through access to financial inclusion, literacy and economic empowerment. The session also highlighted the progress made on the rigorous mechanism of measuring social indicators by Ehsaas programme. Other panelists included Beenish Fatima Sahi, CEO, Punjab Social Protection Authority; Noman Ghani, Social Policy Head, UNICEF Pakistan; Sohail Saeed Abbasi, Senior Social Protection Specialist, the World Bank; Syed Muhammad Mustafa, Technical Advisor on Social Protection, GIZ; and Zahid Mustafa – Group Chief Consumer & Digital Banking Group, the Bank of Punjab.

Nov 15, 2021: Dr. Sania attended the SUN Lead Group meeting in her capacity as a member of the group. The meeting discussed mutual accountability and success indicators for SUN Movement. The Lead Group has the overall responsibility for the Movement’s progress towards achieving its objectives. Other members who attended the meeting included Akinwunmi Ayodeji Adesina, President, African Development Bank; Reem Ebrahim Al-Hashimy, Cabinet Member and Minister of State for International Cooperation, United Arab Emirates; Inger Ashing, CEO, Save the Children International; Cherrie Atilano Founder and CEO, Agrea Agricultural Systems International Inc.; Alicia Barcena Ibara, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; David Beasley, Executive Director, World Food Programme; Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Defense and Foreign Affairs, Fiji; Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission; Shinichi Kitaoka, President, Japan International Cooperation Agency; Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission; and Gerda Verburg, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the SUN Movement.