PM Imran attaches great importance to people’s livelihood: Cheng Xizhong

BEIJING: Since came to power, Prime Minister Imran Khan has been committed to the eradication of poverty and regards it as the top priority of his government.

He attached great importance to people's livelihood and timely launched the Ehsaas poverty alleviation programme.

The government has provided financial assistance to about seven million poor women to foster their full participation in all walks of life, which has won extensive recognition by the international community.

“I remember that on April 1, last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched Ehsaas Emergency Cash Programme in the context of the economic hardship experienced by the vulnerable due to the coronavirus crisis.

"The financial assistance under the programme was meant to help them buy rations so that they did not go hungry. The programme covered more than 15 million families,” Cheng Xizhong, Visiting Professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law and Senior Fellow of the Charhar Institute said on Wednesday.

Recently, Prime Minister Imran Khan launched “No One Sleeps Hungry Programme”. As per the programme, the government offers direct financial assistance to the poor people so that they can buy food and other essential items.

“As I see, the unremitting efforts of the Imran Khan administration to help the poor embody the idea of his governing for the people to realize the people's wishes, meet the people's needs and safeguard the people's interests,” he said in his article published by CEN.

Recently, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Dr Sania Nishtar expressed her satisfaction over successful efforts of the government to help the poor cope with Covid-19 difficulties. The government`s care has reached out to the homes of 15 million labor class people affected by the pandemic.

At the same time, he believed that the key to eradicate poverty lies in development. Bill Gates once advocated raising chicken to help the poor. Chicken raising seems to be a simple matter, but once a fixed mode is formed, farmers can continue to operate on their own, form a self-circulation procedure, and form a good and sustainable development mode.

“Therefore, we should promote the "hematopoietic" poverty alleviation, fully mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of the poor people, persist in cultivating their awareness and skills, and stimulate their endogenous power to get rid of poverty,” he said.