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Critics decry ‘cosmetic measures’ against poverty as Pakistan launches meals-on-wheels program

A man stands in a food truck, part of a meals-on-wheels initiative by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 11, 2021. (Photo courtesy: Social Media)
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Updated 12 March 2021
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Critics decry ‘cosmetic measures’ against poverty as Pakistan launches meals-on-wheels program

  • On January 1, Khan said his new year resolution was implementing universal health care and launching a “no one should sleep hungry” project
  • A pilot project was launched in Islamabad and Rawalpindi this week to deliver free lunch and dinner to the poor on food trucks 
Updated 12 March 2021
KHURSHID AHMED   

KARACHI: Pakistani Prime minister Imran Khan this week launched his “Koi Bhooka Na Soye” (KBNS) project, a meals-on-wheels program that envisions that no one should sleep hungry in the nation of 220 million, as critics called for a multi pronged approach to poverty alleviation rather than “cosmetic measures” like food trucks.
On January 1, Khan said his new year resolution was to implement universal health care in Pakistan and launch a “No one should sleep hungry” project. In October, Pakistan was labelled one of the top ranked countries in Asia for its social protection intervention amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the launch of the Ehsaas, or Empathy, program — an ambitious poverty alleviation plan to help the country’s poorest gain better access to health care, education, and employment.
“My New Year resolution for 2021 is to complete two projects. One, universal health coverage to all our citizens,” Khan had said in a tweet.


“Two, we will start our most ambitious nationwide project “Koi Bhuka Na Soyay“(No one should sleep hungry in Pak) under Ehsaas prog. By the end of the yr these 2 projects will move us closer to our goal of making Pak a welfare state,” the PM added.

 

A KBNS pilot project was launched in Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Wednesday to deliver free lunch and dinner to the poor on food trucks that aim to reach people who couldn’t access government langar khanas, or free food centers.
“This is very important for Pakistan,” Khan said while addressing the launching ceremony. “This is the start of the welfare state that we are going to establish.”
“There are many areas in Pakistan where people sleep hungry as they can hardly afford food,” Khan said, acknowledging high inflationary pressure in the country.
The KBNS project has been launched as a public private partnership, with the Saylani Welfare Trust, which has a network of 125 branches in major Pakistan cities, responsible for providing the food. The charity says it already feeds almost 150,000 people daily.
The overall fund allocation and other details of the KBNS project remain unclear as officials declined to share information when approached by Arab News.
An official at the office of Dr. Sania Nisthar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, said he was not authorized to share any details of the program with the media.
But critics of the government say it needs to take concrete steps to increase employment, rather than implement “cosmetic measures” and give handouts.
“This is a very wrong approach where you think langar khanas are a substitute for [setting up] industries,” former finance minister and opposition politician Miftah Ismail told Arab News. “How many people will you feed out of the population of 220 million?”
“No country in the world has eliminated hunger through such initiatives,” Ismail added. “China eliminated poverty through industrialization.”

“There are around 80 million people in Pakistan living in poverty,” senior economist Dr. Abdul Hafeez Pasha said. ““And the number of unemployed people at present is 15 million.”
Official figures show that 55.74 million people, or 35% of the population, was economically active before COVID-19 struck, but the economically active population declined to 22%, or 35.04 million people, after the pandemic, according to a survey conducted by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
“Pakistan needs to make sincere efforts to get rid of prevailing poverty through prudent economic policies instead of these cosmetic measures,” economist Dr. Shahid Hassan Sidiqqui told Arab News. “Pakistan has wasted billions of rupees through such initiatives but poverty, instead of declining, is surging.”
However, Dr. Umair Javed, a professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, said such initiatives did have impact in dealing with the urban food crisis but the government also needed to adopt a multi pronged strategy to deal with hunger.
“Due to the economic fallout of COVID-19 people have reduced their food intake and to mitigate the impact the government should take this [KBNS] seriously and expand to other cities and towns in partnership with NGOs,” Javed said. “The government is unable to control food inflation ... it should take measures to control food inflation and if change of import tariff, input pricing and support prices is needed, they should go for it.” 

 

 

Topics: Koi Bhooka Na Soye (KBNS) meals-on-wheels Pakistan Imran Khan

Egypt takes key role in renewed diplomatic push for truce in Gaza

Updated 35 min 45 sec ago
Arab News
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Egypt takes key role in renewed diplomatic push for truce in Gaza

  • Officials in Israel described latest moves as ‘an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks’ after Qatar mediation efforts broke down
  • Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel to make clear ‘will not tolerate’ Israel’s deployments of troops along Gaza-Egypt border
Updated 35 min 45 sec ago
Arab News

CAIRO: A high-level Egyptian delegation was in Israel for talks on Friday amid a new diplomatic push for a truce in the Gaza war and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The visit followed a trip to Cairo on Thursday by Israeli army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet domestic intelligence service head Ronen Bar.

Officials in Israel described the latest moves as “an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks” after previous mediation efforts led by Qatar broke down. They told the Egyptian delegation that Israel was ready to give hostage negotiations “one last chance” to reach a deal before moving forward with an invasion of the southern city of Rafah.

“Israel told Egypt that it is serious about preparations for the operation in Rafah and that it will not let Hamas drag its feet,” one official said.

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Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip during more than six months of war between Israel and Hamas.

Egypt is concerned about a potential influx of Palestinian refugees from Gaza if the war continues with the long-threatened Israeli offensive into Rafah, and has taken an increasingly active role in the negotiations.

“The Egyptians are really picking up the mantle on this. Egypt wants to see progress, not least because it’s worried about a prospective Rafah operation,” the official said.

Israel was increasingly looking past Qatar as a main broker, according to the official, after it failed to respond to Israeli demands to expel Hamas leaders from its territory or curb their finances.

“Qatar is still involved but in a lesser capacity,” the official said. “It’s clear to everyone they failed to deliver, even when it came to expelling Hamas or even shutting down their bank accounts.”

Hamas officials said they still considered Qatar a key mediator, alongside Egypt.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said he saw fresh momentum in the talks.

“I believe that there is a renewed effort … to try to find a way forward,” he said “Do I think that there is … new life in these hostage talks? I believe there is.” 

No new proposals

An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Israel had no new proposals to make, although it was willing to consider a limited truce in which 33 hostages would be released by Hamas, instead of the 40 previously under discussion.

“There are no current hostage talks between Israel and Hamas, nor is there a new Israeli offer in that regard,” the official said. “What there is, is an attempt by Egypt to restart the talks with an Egyptian proposal that would entail the release of 33 hostages — women, elderly and infirm.”

According to Israeli media reports, Israeli intelligence officials believe there are 33 female, elderly and sick hostages left alive in Gaza, out of a total of 133 still being held by Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups.

There was no decision on how long any truce would last but if such an exchange were agreed, the pause in fighting would be “definitely less than six weeks,” the official said.

The visit by the Egyptian delegation came a day after the United States and 17 other countries appealed to Hamas to release all of its hostages as a pathway to end the crisis in Gaza. Hamas vowed not to relent to international pressure.

Hamas said it was “open to any ideas or proposals that take into account the needs and rights of our people.” However it stuck to central demands Israel has rejected, and said it criticized the statement for not calling for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

 

Topics: Egypt #israel Palestine Gaza

Pakistan gears up for PM Sharif’s visit to China in May

Updated 27 April 2024
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Pakistan gears up for PM Sharif’s visit to China in May

  • Planning minister says China has invested $25 billion in infrastructure projects in Pakistan since 2013
  • However, the undertaking has been affected by Pakistan’s financial woes, attacks on Chinese in recent years
Updated 27 April 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is preparing for a possible visit by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to China next month and the 13th meeting of a joint cooperation committee (JCC) on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Pakistani planning ministry said on Friday.

The statement came after Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal presided over a meeting with regard to the prime minister’s visit and preparations for the 13th JCC meeting.

Sharif is expected to visit China in May to restore Beijing’s confidence in Islamabad with regard to various Chinese-funded projects, Pakistani state media reported this month, citing a senior official.

“The federal minister said that the prime minister’s visit to China will be of great importance and China wishes that the 13th JCC [meeting] is held before this visit,” the Pakistani planning ministry said in a statement.

“So that projects, including five new economic corridors, can be accelerated and the desired results can be obtained from the visit.”

Beijing is investing over $65 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of CPEC, a major segment of Beijing’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative, which will connect China to the Arabian Sea and help Islamabad expand and modernize its economy through a network of roads, railways, pipelines and ports in Pakistan.

Since its initiation in 2013, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects. But the undertaking has also been hit by Pakistan struggling to keep up its financial obligations as well as militant attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan.

From 2013 to 2018, Iqbal said, China invested $25 billion in Pakistan under CPEC that improved economic condition of the country.

He said his government was currently taking steps to implement CPEC projects and was determined to soon complete them.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Green glamor: Young Pakistani innovators transform electronic waste into fashionable jewelry

Updated 27 April 2024
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Green glamor: Young Pakistani innovators transform electronic waste into fashionable jewelry

  • Jewelry crafted from electronic scrap appeals to a young demographic that values innovation, ethical lifestyle choices
  • Sameer Asif began to pursue entrepreneurial dream by partnering with a classmate to launch ‘Wired Wonders’ in 2023
Updated 27 April 2024
Yusra Jabeen

ISLAMABAD: In a room filled with discarded computer components and broken electronic items, 21-year-old Sameer Asif works under a bright fluorescent light, meticulously shaping an old motherboard into a heart-shaped pendant.
His project is more than a hobby; it’s the core of his entrepreneurial dream, “Wired Wonders,” a venture launched in 2023 to transform electronic waste into wearable art.
Jewelry crafted from electronic scrap aligns with a global trend in sustainable fashion, appealing to a young demographic that values innovation, individuality and ethical lifestyle choices.
Despite its niche market appeal, this form of jewelry reflects a growing interest in repurposing materials that would otherwise contribute to landfills, offering a creative solution to the challenge of electronic waste.
For Asif, however, the whole thing began as an accident.
“I was always into arts and crafts as a child,” he told Arab News in a conversation this week. “I enjoyed giving handmade things, and the first-ever necklace I made from a motherboard was also a gift for my friend.”
“She wore it to the university, and people started asking her about it,” he continued. “That’s when we thought this could actually become a business since people were interested in it.”
Asif said he was fascinated by electronics since childhood, using his tools to dismantle sophisticated gadgets to understand how they worked.
“When I was like five or six years old, on my birthday, someone gifted me a toy set of mechanical things,” he recalled. “It had nuts and screws, and it came with a screwdriver. I used that screwdriver to open my brother’s PlayStation 2 which he really loved.”
“I just opened it but couldn’t fit it back,” he recalled with a smile, saying his brother and parents were not pleased with him.
Asif partnered with his friend Maham Usman to launch Wired Wonders, asking her to manage the social media, sales and marketing.
Asked about the challenges of developing a small niche business, Usman said the biggest problem was procuring discarded motherboards that were not readily available.
“There are like one or two scrapyards in Rawalpindi where they sell discarded electronics in bulk,” she said. “To tackle this challenge, we have started a recycling initiative where we ask people to donate the electronic devices they want to dispense with. Not only will this help us with business, but it is also good for the environment.”
Making a single piece of jewelry can take about two hours. The process involves cutting and shaping motherboard pieces, removing the sharp edges and then pouring resin – a transparent, viscous liquid – over it for shine and preservation. Thereafter, the piece is left to dry for 24 hours.
Asked about the prices of their products, the Wired Wonders’ team informed that they ranged from $1.40 to $7.
“The gold and copper in motherboards add unique value to our jewelry,” Usman said.

Topics: Wired Wonders Jewellery

China unveils first Hangor-class submarine developed for Pakistan

Updated 27 April 2024
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China unveils first Hangor-class submarine developed for Pakistan

  • Islamabad signed agreement for the acquisition of eight submarines during President Xi’s visit to Pakistan
  • Under the contract, four submarines will be built in China, while other four will be built at Karachi Shipyard
Updated 27 April 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: China on Friday unveiled the first Hangor-class submarine that it has developed for Pakistan, the Pakistani military said.

The Pakistani government had signed an agreement with Beijing for the acquisition of eight Hangor-class submarines during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Pakistan.

The first of these submarines was launched at a ceremony held at Shuangliu Base in China’s Wuhan, which was attended by Pakistan’s Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf as the chief guest, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the Pakistani military’s media wing.

“Under the contract, four submarines will be built in China while the other four will be built at Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works Limited in Pakistan,” the ISPR said in a statement.

“These submarines will be equipped with advanced weapons and sensors to target long-range targets.”

The ISPR said the project would add a new dimension to Pakistan-China friendship. China has been one of Pakistan’s most trusted friends and both countries have worked on a number of joint projects in the field of defense in recent years.

Besides, Beijing is investing over $65 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan as part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major segment of its Belt and Road Initiative designed to give China a shorter, more secure trading route to the Middle East and beyond, while also boosting Pakistan’s economy.

Since its initiation in 2013, CPEC has seen tens of billions of dollars funnelled into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects. Beijing has also often provided financial assistance to bail out its often-struggling neighbor in times of a financial crunch.

Topics: Hangor-class submarine submarine

Army chief stresses economic stability as key to national sovereignty at Green Pakistan conference

Updated 26 April 2024
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Army chief stresses economic stability as key to national sovereignty at Green Pakistan conference

  • General Asim Munir says army will continue to support the government with economic development of Pakistan
  • He tells the gathering the military will provide comprehensive national security, work for Pakistan’s collective good
Updated 26 April 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir emphasized the importance of economic stability for a country to achieve full sovereignty while addressing the Green Pakistan Initiative conference on Friday, adding that his institution would continue to support the government in these efforts.

The initiative was launched as a response to the severe climate change impacts that Pakistan has faced over the years, including droughts, catastrophic floods, and extreme heatwaves. The program aims not only to mitigate the effects of erratic weather patterns by improving forest cover and restoring the ecosystem but also enhance the country’s resilience against future climatic shocks.

Pakistan has witnessed a growing awareness about the nexus between environmental issues and national security, prompting various sectors, including the military, to contribute to such green efforts.

“Pakistan is a blessed land with an industrious and resilient nation which needs to come together for national development,” the military’s media wing, ISPR, quoted the army chief in a statement circulated after the conference.

“Pakistan Army will continue to provide all possible support for the economic development of Pakistan,” he continued while pointing out the efforts of his institution to provide comprehensive national security and work for the collective good of the nation.

The state-owned PTV News reported the army chief warned all those who were trying to stop the country from progressing that their efforts would be wasted.

“In today’s era, the concept of complete sovereignty is not possible without economic stability,” he added.

Senior members of Pakistan’s federal cabinet were also present at the conference.

The participants reviewed the progress made under the initiative, expressing satisfaction that the country had achieved significant milestones under the program by establishing model farms, launching water management schemes and enhancing agricultural productivity.

Topics: Arab News Pakistan COAS Pakistan Army Pakistan Green Pakistan conference

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