COVID-19: PoK residents getting no benefits under PM Imran Khan's Ehsaas Programme in Pakistan, facing hardships
Muzaffarabad/IBNS: In a clear case of alleged discrimination followed by the administration at a time of COVID-19 crisis, people in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) have been denied benefits provided under the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme which was launched by PM Imran Khan, media reports said.
The PM Imran Khan-led government had initiated the programme to support the poor and the daily wagers who were going through economic hardships due to the coronavirus lockdown across the country.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation D Sania Nishtar told Geo News earlier that the Ehsaas Emergency Cash Program will help 12 million families by providing them financial assistance of Rs. 12,000 per family and the total budget approved for this initiative is Rs. 144 billion.
People in PoK have claimed that they have been denied privileges under the scheme despite standing in the long queues for hours in front of designated banks.
A local woman told ANI news agency, "Our house caught fire and everything got burnt. Even our daughter faced severe injuries. Today we have nothing with us, not even food and we are getting no help. Our daughter got treated in Rawalpindi but now we don't have money to continue with her treatment. We came to know that we will be getting money (under Ehsaas Programme) but we are getting nothing."
A resident of Muzaffarabad said, "We heard that Rs 12,000 grant is being given to the people but here we came to know that we have no right to this money."Pakistan has always been indifferent to people of PoK and even at this time when they are suffering from COVID-19, the government is neither providing them essential food items nor giving them any sort of financial assistance, pushing the lives of beleaguered people into complete darkness.
Amid reports of poor testing facilities in the region, PoK has reported 43 COVID-19 cases so far.
The disease has claimed 124 lives in the South Asian country so far.
Pakistan has reported over 6000 COVID-19 positive cases.
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