ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday unveiled a Rs38 billion Ramazan Relief Package to support 12.1 million deserving families nationwide, including those in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the launch ceremony of the Prime Minister’s Ramazan Package 2026, he announced that funds would be transferred directly into beneficiaries’ digital bank accounts to ensure transparency and eliminate discrimination.
“A total of Rs38 billion will be disbursed among 12.1 million families without discrimination,” he said. “Each deserving household will receive Rs13,000 via digital wallet or bank transfer, irrespective of political affiliation or personal viewpoint.”
Of the total allocation, Rs10 billion has been earmarked for families already registered under the government’s Kafalat programme, while Rs28 billion will be distributed among those not covered by other support initiatives.
Describing it as the largest federal Ramazan initiative in terms of scale and operational complexity, the prime minister said extensive coordination had been undertaken to ensure timely and dignified delivery of assistance across the country.
He pledged periodic reviews to monitor progress and address implementation gaps. At the outset of his remarks, Sharif reflected on shortcomings in previous Ramazan relief schemes, citing complaints of substandard food items and long queues at utility stores.
“It was a painful sight,” he observed, noting that such arrangements had undermined the dignity of deserving citizens.
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The earlier system was discontinued last year in favour of direct cash transfers through a digital platform – a shift he described as a decisive move to dismantle a flawed and corrupt mechanism and replace it with a more efficient and transparent model.
He acknowledged that the transition to digital payments had posed challenges, including securing cooperation from commercial banks in an economy not yet fully cashless, and resolving technical and regulatory issues in coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
“This year, the same experiment is being repeated with improved performance and clearer key performance indicators,” he added.
The prime minister said he had personally supervised the system’s development to ensure bottlenecks were removed.
He added that third-party validation had certified the transparency of the mechanism. He formally launched the payment programme by pressing a button at the ceremony.
Sharif also thanked international partners for their support, describing the initiative as a collaborative effort.
“Together we will achieve this landmark,” he said, underscoring the government’s commitment to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of vulnerable families during Ramazan.
Earlier, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmed Shah said poverty reduction, social protection and service to humanity were hallmarks of the present government.
Federal Secretary for the Benazir Income Support Programme, Amer Ali Ahmed, said the prime minister’s vision was to establish a transparent payment system for deserving segments of society.
He noted that last year’s Rs5,000 package had been enhanced to Rs13,000 this year and would again undergo third-party validation. Details of the programme, he added, could be obtained via the helpline 9999.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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