March 31, 2022 – Islamabad: “Ehsaas Raabta” app has been launched with beneficiary centered information about the programme. The mobile app is available on the Google Playstore at this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pk.gov.ehsaas.sub_kay_liye. “Ehsaas Raabta” app guides a common man about various benefits and services being offered through different programmes of Ehsaas. Instructional information in Urdu allows users to understand information of Ehsaas programmes and initiatives. Through the app, anyone intending to know about his entitlements for various benefits under Ehsaas will go to the Ehsaas 8171 web portal section. Once the QR code mentioned on the backside of Ehsaas Card is scanned, the app will inform the user about the whole range of entitlements for his/her family under Ehsaas. Instructional video can be watched here.

March 31, 2022 – Islamabad: Work on National Data Exchange Portal (NDEP) has formally concluded. NDEP for the Ehsaas’ National Socioeconomic Registry is one of the six main pillars of One Window Ehsaas. With NDEP, the implementing agencies of Ehsaas will be empowered to ascertain what benefits an individual or a family is getting by just keying in the CNIC number of an individual. More importantly, the benefits which each family and individual is getting from each implementing agency will also be visible to all agencies under Ehsaas programme. “In the past, there was no way of one government agency knowing what support an individual or a family was getting from another government agency. Some families with connections and influence were getting multiple benefits and other more deserving ones were getting none”, said Dr. Sania.

March 31, 2022 – Islamabad: Federal Cabinet has approved the Ehsaas Catastrophic Health Expenditure Policy and Ehsaas Tahafuz through circulation. Through this policy, Ehsaas Tahafuz, has been approved, which is a fund-based health financing system. Ehsaas Tahafuz will complement the insurance-based Sehat Sahulat programme to ensure the universal health coverage and protect people from Catastrophic Health Expenditure. Extensive two-year-long work has been done on Ehsaas Tahafuz which is country’s first shock-oriented precision safety net. Ehsaas Tahafuz is primarily premised on coverage principles to complement government’s existing Sehat Sahulat programme and plug in any gaps. “Ehsaas Tahafuz will run as per the parameters outlined in this policy to complement Sehat Sahulat to ensure efficient use of public resources and to build synergies between complementary programmes”, said Dr. Sania Nishtar while chairing the review meeting of Ehsaas Tahafuz.

March 29, 2022 – Islamabad: Ehsaas Kafaalat payments for the period Jan to Jun 2022 are underway nationwide. Prime Minister has raised the six-monthly stipend amount of Ehsaas Kafaalat from Rs.12,000 to Rs.14,000. In a video message, Dr. Sania Nishtar has caveated of strict actions being taken against agents involved in deductions from disbursements of Ehsaas beneficiaries. Warning agents to refrain from deductions, Dr. Sania reaffirmed that all those involved in deductions will be dealt with strictly. Highlighting important pointers regarding defrauding activities, Dr. Sania further emphasized on three things: Firstly, all Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries should get full payment of Rs. 14,000. Beneficiaries whose children are enrolled in Ehsaas Taleemi Wazaif; their stipend amount is more than Rs. 14,000. Secondly, she asked beneficiaries not to submit CNICs to retailers prior to payment. Thirdly, she urged beneficiaries, “Beware of agents who may try to deny payments at the time of biometric verification asking recipients to come later some other day.” Cautioning agents, Dr. Sania also referred to Quranic verses about the importance of honesty. Full video can be watched here.

March 28, 2022 – Islamabad: The tenth steering committee meeting of Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship programme took place at the Higher Education Commission. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM and Chairman HEC, Dr. Tariq Banuri co-chaired the meeting. The steering committee discussed policy questions, financial impacts, sustainability features and refinements needed in light of the assessment study conducted under the Ehsaas umbrella. Detailed deliberations were held on findings of the study. The assessment covered 35 public sector universities across all four provinces and ICT. Under the study, the eligibility criteria for selection of students by the respective Institutional Scholarship Award Committees of the universities was gauged. The study revealed that the programme provided level playing field for students from low-income households nationwide. Students with a monthly family income below the threshold of Rs. 45,000 were eligible to apply, and scholarships were given out based on need-cum-merit basis. Results of the study also highlighted the need for categorization of universities based on their performance under the programme.

March 23, 2022 – Islamabad: After a thorough investigation conducted jointly by Ehsaas and Law and Enforcement Agencies, a gang of fraudsters involved in fraudulent activities, has been arrested from Multan. They were defrauding Ehsaas beneficiaries across South Punjab in their payments. Cash, ATM cards and CNICs of various Ehsaas Kafaalat beneficiaries have also been recovered from their possession. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. Taking to twitter, Dr. Sania vowed stern action against fraudsters arrested.

March 21, 2022 – Multan: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM together with Additional Chief Secretary, South Punjab Captain (Retd) Saqib Zafar co-chaired a high-level meeting in Multan with district administrations, Law and Enforcement Agencies, partnering bank and regional officers of Ehsaas from South Punjab. The meeting took place at the Secretariat of Additional Chief Secretary, South Punjab. The meeting aimed to discuss coordinated steps to improve the quality of Ehsaas Kafaalat payments in field. It was also agreed that 20 more payment campsites will be organized to facilitate Ehsaas payments in all 11 districts of South Punjab. Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Regional Police Officers, District Police Offers and senior officers from FIA, ISI, IB and Anti-corruption Establishment from Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur Divisions of South Punjab assured full support to Ehsaas to improve the operations of Ehsaas disbursements.

March 20, 2022 – Islamabad: The 3^rd and final day of “5^th PGF International Ladies Amateur Golf Championship was played under the impressive air show for the 23^rd March parade – and what a show ! the day was a perfect Mid Spring Day well played and well enjoyed by all participants. Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM very graciously adorned the event as its Chief Guest. Prize distribution ceremony was held at the Golf Course Terrace with a panoramic view of the golf course. Dr. Sania while speaking on the occasion to the gathering said that it was a moment of joy to see so many young girls taking up competitive sports and to see so many ladies playing championship. She extended her full support in promotion of ladies in sports. Dr. Sania also spoke about the Ehsaas programme and how it is positively impacting ladies’ lives in Pakistan. Later, she mingled with the invitees of the prize distribution ceremony.

March 18, 2022 – Islamabad: Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM convened a meeting today to take stock of the refinements being made to the “Ehsaas Raabta App” that is currently in its final stages. Principally aimed to guide a common man about different programmes of Ehsaas, the android-based Ehsaas Raabta App will be available shortly on Google Playstore. “Ehsaas Raabta will be all-in-one platform of Ehsaas, digitally linking public with the right set of information needed to enroll and benefit from its diverse programmes. A ChatBot is also being integrated into this app to help users by providing answers to their queries about Ehsaas”, said Dr. Sania. The meeting also reviewed the quality and improvement aspects of the app. Secretary Ismat Tahira, Additional Secretary Syed Muazzam Ali, Director General Naveed Akbar, Director General Noor Rehman, Director General Meer Anwar and other senior officials of Ehsaas were also present in the meeting.

March 14, 2022 – Islamabad: Prime Minister has raised the six-monthly stipend amount of Kafaalat from Rs.12,000 to Rs.14,000. Currently, a Kafaalat tranche of Rs. 71 billion is being disbursed in all Tehsils of the country. To review payments under Kafaalat, Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM convened several meetings with the leadership of Habib Bank Limited, Chief Secretaries of provinces and IGs of Police. Secretary Ismat Tahira and all Director Generals of Ehsaas were also present in the meeting together with Focal Persons of provinces. The pace of payments and issues emerging from the field were discussed in detail. The meeting also discussed the zero-tolerance policy for those involved in illegal deductions. A Committee was also constituted with representation from Director Generals of Ehsaas, Officers of partnering Banks and focal persons of provinces to review Ehsaas Cash disbursements on daily basis.

March 10, 2022- Islamabad: A high-level delegation of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) called on Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM at Ehsaas offices in Islamabad. The meeting explored avenues of collaboration between Ehsaas and CPA. The delegation was led by Ian Liddle, Acting Chair, MP, Member of UK Parliament; Stephen Twigg, Secretary General; and Emily Davis, Head of Parliamentary Outreach Programme. The delegation is on an official visit to Pakistan between March 7 to 12, 2022. Dr. Sania is also the member of CPA’s Human Rights Asia Working Group.

March 7, 2022 – Islamabad: On three years of completion of Ehsaas, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired the event at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat. Addressing the ceremony, PM felicitated Ehsaas team on successful and fastest deployment of all social protection and poverty reduction programmes of Ehsaas in three years. PM also announced the nationwide deployment of Ehsaas Rashan Riayat that is globally first and fastest end-to-end digital targeted subsidies programme of national scale. “Every month, the Rashan programme of Ehsaas will disburse 30% commodity subsidies to 20 million deserving families on the purchase of flour, pulses, cooking oil and ghee”, stated PM. At the event, PM was joined by Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM, Shibli Faraz, Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Syed Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, and country heads of international development partners. PM also gave away cheques among women beneficiaries of Ehsaas.