Deserving families: KP govt approves Ramazan Support Package
PESHAWAR, Feb.12- The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has approved a Ramazan Support Package for deserving families in the province.
The meeting of the provincial cabinet was held here with Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi in the chair. Besides, provincial ministers, administrative secretaries of all provincial departments attended the meeting.
Briefing the media on the key decisions taken in the meeting, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Information and Public Relations, Shafi Jan, said that more than one million poor families would be provided financial relief of Rs 12,500 per family.
The assistance will be disbursed directly to the head of each deserving family through digital payment methods. Priority will be given to the poorest segments of society, including destitute persons, widows, orphans, persons with disabilities, transgender persons and victims of natural disasters and incidents of terrorism, while government and semi-government employees will not be eligible for the package.
He said the cabinet also approved an additional grant of Rs 496 million as a Martyrs’ Package for the families of 190 martyrs of law enforcement agencies. Similarly, financial assistance for treatment was approved for deserving patients suffering from complex and costly diseases. Shafi Jan said the cabinet approved the reconstitution of the Quran Board and the appointment of its 19 members for a three-year term. As part of measures to safeguard minority rights, the cabinet approved the appointment of members to the National Commission for Minorities, along with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Kalash Marriage Bill and the Hindu Marriage (Amendment) Bill.
He further stated that the cabinet approved the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Women Empowerment Policy 2026–2030. The policy covers six key objectives, including participation in economic activities, employment security, access to social services and human development, active role in political and social leadership, legal protection and access to justice, inclusion in and access to digital initiatives, and measures to ensure protection during climate change impacts and natural disasters.
Under food security measures, the cabinet approved the procurement of 175,000 metric tons of wheat at a total cost exceeding Rs 19 billion. The cabinet also approved the deregulation of sugar to ensure stable and transparent supply across the country, he said.
The special assistant said the cabinet approved a framework for providing additional financial support to the Gabral Kalam and Madain hydropower projects in order to expedite these important energy initiatives.
In the education sector, the cabinet approved the activation of 325 non-functional computer/IT labs in high and higher secondary schools, as well as provision of internet facilities to 958 schools. The decision aims to further strengthen information technology initiatives and artificial intelligence–linked educational programs of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
The cabinet also approved an increase in the cost of the tele-taleem pilot project launched in 175 schools under the Elementary and Secondary Education Foundation. Through this scheme, online education in science, mathematics, IT and English will be provided.
He said the cabinet has also approved the establishment of Kundi tehsil in Tank district. In addition, the cabinet approved cost enhancement and additional grants for ongoing police infrastructure projects in southern districts, the DHQ Teaching Hospital, Dera Ismail Khan, upgradation project of RHC Nizampur in Nowshera district to a Category-D hospital, and an ongoing project aimed at increasing the income of small dairy farmers in Hazara Division.
The cabinet also approved a project for the installation of Reinforced Plastic Composite (RPC) manhole covers within the jurisdiction of the Water and Sanitation Services (WSS), and decided to construct a fruit and vegetable market in Bara, Khyber district.
To encourage sports activities, the cabinet approved a grant of Rs 1.5 million for athlete Jadran Khan to participate in an international kickboxing championship abroad, along with a Rs 20 million grant to the Sports Department for similar activities in the future.
He said that the cabinet also approved amendments to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the use of protected, reserved and communal forest areas for development schemes, in order to facilitate completion of power distribution works linked to hydropower projects.
It also approved sending a letter to the Election Commission regarding an extension in the schedule for delimitation for the upcoming local government elections in the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026