ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities develop a beneficial Ramadan package to reach the maximum number of Pakistanis and instructed disbursement of financial assistance through digital wallets, Sharif’s office said on Friday.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, observed by more than two billion Muslims worldwide, who abstain from food and drink from dawn to sunset. It begins with the sighting of the crescent moon and is expected to start around Feb. 17 or 18 this year.
Most Pakistanis suffer from artificial hikes in food prices every year during Ramadan. Demand for essential food items surges during the month as people prepare traditional dishes to break the fast with the evening iftar meal.
Presiding over a review meeting on third-party validation of the Ramadan relief package, Sharif was briefed on the introduction of a social protection wallet system, under which mobile phone connections were being distributed among beneficiaries for disbursement of financial assistance.
“The prime minister specially directed all relevant institutions to formulate a more effective and beneficial package and recommendations for the upcoming Ramadan than last year,” the PM’s Office said in a statement on Friday.
