ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government this week directed banks and financial institutions to accelerate disbursement of its Rs38 billion ($136 million) Ramadan cash relief package, ordering full-scale activation of beneficiary accounts to ensure timely payments to 12.1 million low-income families.
The Prime Minister’s Ramadan Relief Package 2026, launched on Feb. 14, provides Rs13,000 ($47) each to eligible households through bank accounts and regulated mobile wallets, replacing the earlier utility-store subsidy model with a digital transfer system overseen by the State Bank of Pakistan.
The latest directive comes as Ramadan spending accelerates, with food purchases typically rising during the holy month, prompting the government to ensure payments reach families before household expenses increase further.
In a meeting on Monday with Partner Financial Institutions and the State Bank of Pakistan, the Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah, “directed that account creation and activation for beneficiaries be carried out at full scale, with disbursement of funds accelerated over the coming days,” according to a government statement.
He also “stressed the need for immediate mobilization of all remaining beneficiaries to ensure seamless account activation and onward crediting, in line with the Prime Minister’s directives.”
