ISLAMABAD (Digital Post) Prime Minister Ramadan Relief Package. Direct financial assistance to deserving families

ISLAMABAD (Digital Post) The government is determined to promote social and economic welfare. The Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package 2026 has been approved. The Finance Division informed the committee that Rs. 19 billion has already been allocated for the Ramadan package of the current fiscal year, and the remaining amount will be released as needed. The statement said, “The ECC approved the immediate release of Rs. 19 billion to enable timely disbursements, and it was also agreed that any additional funds would be provided in line with the needs arising during Ramadan and the available financial capacity of the government. The committee also considered the operational expenditure component presented in the summary and stressed that a detailed breakdown of the expenditure should be provided, including disbursements to partner financial institutions and expenditure related to awareness and communication measures. The ECC approved in principle Rs. 1 billion for operational expenditure, subject to full details being submitted to the Ministry of Finance so that the disbursement of funds is in line with actual needs and financial rules.” The ECC also noted the need for immediate commencement of disbursements and formally acknowledged the steps already taken to ensure the timely disbursement of funds through re-appropriated funds. It was also decided that the expenditure would be managed in accordance with Pakistan’s fiscal responsibilities, and any unused funds would be returned as per the prescribed procedure. “The ECC reiterated the government’s commitment to provide timely and dignified assistance to the deserving sections of society during Ramadan, while also emphasizing fiscal accountability and strong monitoring in the implementation of relief measures. It also said that it is necessary to balance the prompt delivery of relief with fiscal prudence and transparency in operational expenditure. The Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package 2026 has been designed to provide targeted financial assistance to deserving families who are eligible for assistance during the holy month of Ramadan. The package aims to ensure transparency and impartiality in the selection of beneficiaries using data from the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER). It will provide one-time cash assistance to identified low-income households, while also enhancing existing social protection assistance, and the funds will be disbursed directly through banking and digital channels. The money will be transferred to the beneficiaries to ensure safe and effective delivery of the money. The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection presented a summary in the ECC, in which 13 thousand will be distributed to the deserving families under the package. The money will be transferred to the deserving families during the first week of Ramadan. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the meeting via video link from the United States, in which a one-point agenda was considered. According to the announcement, the amount of the Ramadan relief package will be distributed through digital wallets. The volume of the Prime Minister’s Ramadan relief package is Rs 29 billion. This year’s budget will provide Rs 10 billion for the Prime Minister’s Ramadan relief package. One crore 20 lakh families will benefit from the Ramadan relief package. One crore 20 lakh families will benefit from the Prime Minister’s Ramadan relief package. Under the package, 13 thousand will be distributed to the deserving families per capita. The money will be transferred to the deserving families during the first week of Ramadan. According to the authorities, the amount of the Ramadan relief package will be distributed through digital wallets. The Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package will be Rs 38 billion. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired an online meeting from the United States. A one-point agenda was considered in the Economic Coordination Committee meeting. According to the announcement, the Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package 2026 was approved in the meeting. The Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection presented a summary in the ECC. Remember that Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, while announcing a Ramadan package of Rs 38 billion for 12.1 million deserving families at the rate of Rs 13,000 per family during Ramadan, had said that payments would be made to deserving white-clothed people in every corner of the country transparently through digital banking. There is no political discrimination in this. I personally supervised the development of this system. Problems and obstacles were removed because there were many difficulties in the cashless economy and digital payments. The outdated system of the past was abolished when deserving people had to sacrifice their self-respect for substandard food items through utility stores and stand in queues. It had to be done; there was also corruption in it. He made this announcement while addressing the launch ceremony of the Prime Minister’s Ramadan Package 2026 on Saturday. Later, the Prime Minister pressed the button to launch the payment program under the Ramadan Package. On this occasion, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Federal Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar Khan, Chairperson BISP Senator Rubina Khalid, and top government officials were also present. Addressing the ceremony, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that the holy month of Ramadan is not only a month of physical worship but also a month of distributing resources through halal livelihood.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a revolutionary change in the method of providing relief for Ramadan by releasing funds worth Rs 38 billion. According to the Prime Minister, this time, instead of standing in line for flour or sugar, the money will be transferred directly to the accounts of the deserving people. 1.21 crore families across the country will benefit from this scheme. Each family will be given a lump sum payment of Rs 13,000. The Prime Minister clarified that the payments will be made through bank accounts and digital wallets, which will eliminate the possibility of corruption and manipulation. In his address, the Prime Minister said that in the past, the method of providing relief through utility stores was ineffective and painful, which has now been completely abolished. He said that we have laid the foundation of a modern system in which the state itself will go to the deserving people. The transparent distribution of Rs 20 billion last year proved that the digital system is the best way. The special thing about the package is that its scope is not limited to the federation or the provinces only, but the deserving people living in remote areas of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan have also been made equal partners. The month of Ramadan, along with its spiritual importance, also teaches social compassion, patience, sacrifice, and mutual cooperation, and this is why the expectations of the public on the government also increase to take special measures for the weak and deserving classes on this occasion. In this context, the Prime Minister’s announcement of Rs 38 billion is not just financial assistance but is being seen as an attempt to strengthen the confidence of the people and promote social welfare. According to the government, the main objective of this package is to stabilize the prices of essential commodities, provide direct financial assistance to deserving families, and ensure the availability of subsidized items through utility stores. The experiences of the past years have made it clear that if such measures are not monitored effectively, the resources do not reach the deserving, and the impact of the relief remains limited. That is why this time the government has emphasized that transparency and monitoring of the package will be ensured through a modern digital system. An important aspect of this package is related to market stability. Prices increase due to increased demand during Ramadan, and sometimes incidents of hoarding and illegal profiteering also come to the fore. If the government only provides subsidies and does not monitor the market, prices can still go out of control. Therefore, the district administration, price control magistrates, and related institutions will play an active role so that the chances of hoarding, artificial inflation, and mismanagement are reduced, and the public can get real relief. As soon as Ramadan begins, a cashless Ramadan Sahulat Bazaar was established for the convenience of the public. Pakistan has set up a cashless Ramadan Sahulat Bazaar in G-6, Islamabad, to promote digital payments. Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited the Ramadan Sahulat Bazaar in Aabpara. He inspected the stalls of vegetables, fruits, and essential items. On this occasion, Mohsin Naqvi said that providing affordable and quality goods to the public is the top priority, and no negligence will be tolerated in public relief. The Home Minister reviewed the quality and prices of food items and directed the administration to prominently display the rate list. It may be recalled that Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Muhammad Ali Randhawa had directed that the availability of quality food items at official rates should be ensured. Muhammad Ali Randhawa had directed that all Ramadan bazaars should be made cashless so that digital payments could be facilitated, and all construction and repair work should be completed before the beginning of the holy month. The Punjab Social Security Department has started the process of providing relief to workers on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. According to officials, more than 1.2 million registered workers across the province will be given Rs. 10,000. This amount will be provided to the workers through the Maryam Nawaz ration card, while according to the commissioner, the assistance amount under the Ramadan package has been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000. Under this facility, the workers will be able to receive a ration or cash worth Rs 10,000. This initiative has been taken to provide financial support to the working class during the month of Ramadan. On the occasion of the arrival of Ramadan, the federal and provincial governments have announced relief packages to protect the people from the pressure of inflation. Under these packages, cash assistance, subsidized food items, ration cards, and free iftar facilities will be provided to crores of deserving people. According to the Ramadan relief package announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the volume of the Ramadan package this year has been kept at Rs 38 billion. Under this package of the federal government, deserving families in all four provinces and Azad Kashmir will be given Rs 13,000 per family. The distribution of aid will be made directly to banks through a transparent digital system and BISP. Last year, this amount was Rs 5,000, which has been significantly increased this year. The aim of these measures taken at the federal and provincial levels is to reduce the effects of inflation during Ramadan and provide relief to the deserving people in a dignified manner. It is hoped that these packages will directly benefit millions of families and provide convenience to the people during Ramadan. The Punjab government has also introduced a historic package for public relief during Ramadan. A meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved a Ramadan Night Ban package worth Rs 49 billion. Under the package, 4.2 million deserving families will be provided with Rs 10,000 per family. Through the Nighaban card, deserving people will not only be able to get cash but will also be able to buy essential food items. In addition, free Iftar tables will be set up in every tehsil across the province under the Nighaban Dastarkhwan ‘Maryam Ke Mehman Program’, for which Rs 6 billion has been allocated. According to officials, more than 1 million fasting people will benefit from this program. On the other hand, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has approved a special Ramadan relief package in the 47th meeting of the provincial cabinet on the instructions of Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Under this package, 1 million 63 thousand deserving families across the province will be provided with an average of Rs 12,500 per family. Last year, a Ramadan package of Rs 10,000 per family was given for the first time; however, this year the package has been increased by 25 percent in view of the increase in prices of essential commodities, including sugar and flour. The Sindh government has also launched a large-scale relief program under the Ramadan Relief Package 2026. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a package of Rs 25 billion. Under this program, more than 5 million families will be provided with cash assistance ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 13,000 and subsidized flour, sugar, and pulses. The assistance will be distributed through 500 utility stores and mobile vans, while eligibility will be determined on the basis of BISP and NSER data. The Balochistan government has decided to distribute rations to deserving people instead of cash relief packages during the month of Ramadan. This time, deputy commissioners at the district level will identify deserving people, and then the ration will be distributed to these people. Meanwhile, the King Salman Relief Center, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority, has started distributing food aid in 30 districts of Pakistan on the occasion of the month of Ramadan. This initiative is being taken under the Food Basket Project (5) Pakistan 2026, which aims to ensure the provision of essential food to one lakh 92 thousand 500 deserving people suffering from food insecurity. Each food package distributed under this project weighs 97 kilograms, which has been prepared keeping in mind the needs of a family for the entire month of Ramadan. Each package includes 80 kilograms of flour, 5 liters of cooking oil, 5 kilograms of sugar, 2 kilograms of dates, and 5 kilograms of gram dal. The distribution process is being carried out in a transparent and coordinated manner with the support of Provincial Disaster Management Authorities, Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority, State Disaster Management Authority, District Administration, and King Salman Relief’s partner organizations Hayat Foundation and Peace and Development Organization. This initiative reflects King Salman Relief’s commitment to strengthening food security in Pakistan, with the aim of alleviating the hardships of the needy and vulnerable communities by providing timely assistance and supporting them during the blessed month of Ramadan. This project is a manifestation of King Salman Relief’s mission to provide humanitarian services and promote sustainable stability globally.