Imran Khan launches web portal to help jobless people

Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched a web portal under the ‘second phase’ of the Ehsaas Cash Programme to help people who have lost their jobs because of the novel coronavirus.

Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad on Saturday, the premier said that anyone who has been recently unemployed because of the pandemic should “visit the website and register themselves”.

The prime minister, however, pointed out that those registering will have to provide proof that they were working at an organisation.

“I understand that not all people will be able to do this themselves, therefore I want youngsters and my Tiger Force to identify such people and help them with the registration,” he said.

All the registered people will be then scrutinised through the NADRA database. “Whoever qualifies will get the cash transferred to them,” PM Khan assured.

The prime minister thanked all the people who have donated to the Prime Minister’s Coronavirus Fund and clarified that he was “personally monitoring its accountability process”.

The details of all these donations will be provided in a report to the public, he reiterated, adding that the funds are being provided through a “transparent system”.

PM Khan also remarked that the Ehsaas Programme is being run on merit and was void of any political affiliations.

“So far, Rs81 billion have been distributed among 6.8 million needy families across the country under it.”

He added that even countries that were immensely affected by the virus, such as New York, were considering loosening their lockdown because it had “adverse effects on the economy”.

“We are therefore giving incentives to the construction sector so that it can help the daily wagers and provide them with a source of livelihoods,” the prime minister explained.

He remarked that the government was trying its best to reduce the burden on the public, stating that the reduction in oil prices was an example of it.

In the last one month, the price of petrol has gone down by Rs30 per litre and diesel has become Rs42 per litre cheap. This means that the prices of essential goods will also go down, PM Khan said.

“We don’t know how long this pandemic will last for, but we know for sure that it is here for the next six months,” he said. “To fight this, it’s important that the public takes the responsibility of themselves and the people around them and work with the government.”

He advised people to practice social distancing and take adequate precautionary measures against the virus. “We know that the more people gather, the more they are likely to contract the virus so we need to practice discipline.”

Most of the people affected by the virus don’t need to go to the hospital and can be quarantined at home, the prime minister said. “So people who test positive for should self-quarantine, otherwise they will put other vulnerable people at risk,” he reiterated.

PM Khan lauded and thanked the nation for its support during these critical times and said that he looked forward to it in future as well.