Minister SAFRON pledges to provide free ration supplies to Afghan refugees

• He said the government was taking concrete steps to provide immediate relief to the Afghan refugees affected by the lockdown.
• Afridi further said the government was engaged in collecting data of all labors, daily wagers and poor deserving families under the historic Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for SAFRON and Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi Thursday said that the government under dynamic leadership of Prime minister Imran Khan launched a new initiative to provide free food and ration supplies to Afghan refugees trapped in various camps across Pakistan due to coronavirus lockdown.

In an interview with Radio Pakistan, he said the government was taking concrete steps to provide immediate relief to the Afghan refugees affected by the lockdown.

Talking about his meeting with Chinese ambassador in Islamabad, he said the ambassador donated 1500 food packs for the Afghan refugees trapped in various camps in Pakistan, while Japan had already donated one million US dollars to Pakistan to help contain coronavirus pandemic.

Afridi urged the world organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR), to accelerate relief efforts and provide food assistance to the families of Afghan refugees trapped in lockdown across Pakistan.

He said the prime minister had given special directives to facilitate nationals of other countries stranded in Pakistan and overseas Pakistanis stranded in other countries due to the pandemic.

Replying a question about Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme, he said, under the programme, the government was providing financial assistance Rs 12,000 to each poor family affected by the lockdown.

Afridi further said the government was engaged in collecting data of all labors, daily wagers and poor deserving families under the historic Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme.