By PTI
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday launched a PKRs 407 billion interest-free loan programme aimed to help 4.5 million poor families become self reliant, as part of measures to ease burden on masses as Opposition parties geared up efforts to topple his government.
The Kamyab Pakistan Programme would help the families to start businesses, construct homes, start farming and get technical education, Khan said while addressing the launching ceremony at Faisal Mosque in the capital.
He said that so far PKRs 2.5 billion had been disbursed by the government among the low-income groups in various welfare schemes, while banks had issued loans worth PKRs 55 billion to help the common man. “Kamyab Pakistan Programme, aiming at taking the country towards a welfare state, will be further expanded,” he said, adding that it would benefit 4.5 million families.
The programme envisages interest free loans of Rs 500,000 for businesses, Rs 350,000 for the farmers and 2,000,000 for the construction of houses. He said technical training will also be provided to one member of each deserving family in order to help them stand on their own feet.
Khan said that various schemes have been launched in the country to transform Pakistan into a welfare state, including the ‘Naya Pakistan Health Card’ to provide free healthcare to everyone. The announcement of the loan scheme came just two days after the prime minister slashed petroleum prices by Rs 10 and electricity price by Rs 5 per unit.
On asked how his government would provide funds to support cheap electricity and petrol, Khan said that it was possible after the “record” tax collection by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). “I want to thank the FBR today for collecting record tax in Pakistan and because of this we have reduced the petrol price by Rs 10 per litre and power tariff by Rs 5 per unit when prices are on the rise internationally,” he said.
He also lauded the FBR for achieving February’s revenue target of PKRs 441 billion which showed a robust growth of 28.5 per cent. The announcement of the loan programme came as the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) launched a protest on Sunday from Karachi against Khan’s government.
PPP chief Bilwal Bhutto Zardari announced to travel to capital Islamabad along with his supporters to demand Khan’s resignation. Other opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), have also announced to launch their protest march from March 23.
