A vendor displaying and selling bananas at Margalla Ramzan Bazar
Women purchasing spices for upcoming Holy Month Ramadan at Margalla Ramzan Bazar.
An older man selling shopping bags at Margalla Ramzan Bazar
Women purchasing vegetables at Vegetable Margalla Ramzan Bazar Peshawar Morr
Vendors preparing shade for their stalls at vegetable Margalla Ramzan Bazar Peshawar Morr.
Commuter wearing plastic sheet while wading through heavy rain at Islamabad Expressway
Govt announces PM’s Ramazan Relief Package worth Rs 5 billion
ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (APP): The government on Tuesday announced a Ramazan Relief Package worth Rs 5 billion to provide maximum relief to the poor segment of society during the holy month of Ramazan across the country.
While addressing a press conference, Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud said that the first priority of the federal government is to save the people from hardships and inflation.
He said that the package has come into force from today (March 21) and would continue till the last day of the holy month. The Federal Government, he said, is already providing five basic food items to the public at subsidized rates through the Utility Stores Corporation.
In order to facilitate the public the Prime Minister has extended the scope of the relief package by increasing the number of subsidized items to 19.
The items to be provided at subsidized rates include flour, ghee, sugar, cooking oil, tea, dates, besan, dal mash, dal mong, milk, drinks, and spices.
While giving details about the package the USC official said that to make the process of obtaining subsidy more simple and transparent it has been divided into two parts, targeted and general.
He said that the targeted subsidy will be only for the users registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) while the people of the entire country will benefit from the general subsidy.
Under targeted subsidy flour is available at Rs 400 per 10 kg bag, sugar at Rs 70 per kg and ghee at Rs 300 per kg.
While under general subsidy, a 10 kg bag of flour is available at Rs.648, sugar at Rs. 91 per kg and ghee at Rs.490 per kg.
The USC also provides a subsidy of Rs 20 on the white gram, super basmati rice, sella rice, broken rice.
Subsidy on gram flour is Rs.50 per kg and a 10% discount will also be given on spices.
A subsidy of Rs 100 per kg on tea, Rs 50 per kg on dates, Rs 30 per liter on milk and Rs 30 per bottle on beverages will be given, he added.
It should be noted that apart from flour, sugar and ghee, other subsidized items will be provided at the same rate for both general and targeted subsidy users.
Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has also released a free flour package for the citizens of Islamabad, which is organized by the USC Islamabad District Administration in collaboration with the distribution points and utility stores established in different areas of Islamabad.
This gift of free flour is being distributed to the poor and deserving families who are registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).
Each registered family will get one bag of 10 kg as a gift for the first time and the remaining two bags will be received after 7 days.
During the entire month of Ramazan, 3 bags of flour (10 kg per bag) will be provided free of charge to every registered household.
Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) has already notified its registered households through SMS.
Registered households do not need OTP to get the free flour bag, just show the original National Identity Card.
To check the eligibility for this package, a person can SMS National Identity Card to 8171 or visit the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) offices.
Commuters are wading through heavy rain at Islamabad Expressway
Rana Tanveer stresses for expanding Pakistan, Maldives cooperation in technical, vocational training
ISLAMABAD, Mar 21 (APP): Federal Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training, Rana Tanveer Hussain Tuesday called for expanding cooperation between Pakistan and Maldives in the field of technical and vocational training.
During a meeting held with the Higher Education Minister of Republic of Maldives, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan today, Rana Tanveer said that both countries can increase student exchange programs.
Emphasizing the importance of the relationship between Pakistan and Maldives, the minister highlighted the brotherly relations between the two countries and praised the hospitality shown to Pakistanis by the people of Maldives.
He said that Pakistan and Maldives have been enjoying cordial relations which are based on common faith, culture, historic links, mutual trust, and commonality of interest.
The minister said that an MoU on Education and Professional Training to oversee, pursue and coordinate the entire collaboration between two countries should be formulated and stressed the importance of practical implementation of MoUs as soon as possible.
Rana Tanveer was briefed that The Maldives National University has been connected with the leading Universities in Pakistan including LUMS, NUST, PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi and others.
Last week, MNU 04 faculty members completed their two weeks training in the agricultural field at Agriculture University Rawalpindi.
He said that there is a great potential for cooperation between the two countries and we believe that with engagements the opportunities would be capitalized for the benefit of the two countries.
Higher Education Minister of the Republic of Maldives, Dr. Ibrahim Hassan apprised Rana Tanveer that Maldives has 98 percent literacy rate which is amongst the highest in the world.
He said that Maldivian Students (approx. 30) are also pursuing their higher education especially MBBS in Pakistani Medical Universities Colleges.
Yearly 6-8 MBBS/ BDs Seats are offered to Maldivian students under Pakistan Technical Assistance Program (PTAP).
Rana Tanveer assured Dr. Ibrahim Hassan that students from Maldives will be given more seats in medical and art colleges in Pakistan.
The federal minister said that Pakistan attaches great importance to its relations with Maldives both in a bilateral context and within the framework of the SAARC, OIC, UN and Commonwealth.
“Our cooperative relations are demonstrative of the fact that two countries are natural allies and there are opportunities to further expand mutual ties”, he said.