ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed ministries and officials concerned that subsidy amounts for the Ramazan package for the deserving people should be distributed through digital wallets so that their dignity and respect was not compromised.
The prime minister was chairing a meeting to review the proposed Ramazan package and third-party validation of the last year’s package.
He said the federal government had established a transparent system to provide subsidised essential food items to the underprivileged during Ramazan, replacing a decades-old corrupt system of financial irregularities and mismanagement in Utility Stores.
During the meeting, he praised all relevant institutions and ministries on the report by a reputable audit firm regarding the transparency of last year’s Ramazan package.
He noted that deserving individuals were deprived of their rights due to corruption in Utility Stores.
Orders solarisation of loss-making electricity feeders
Financial support and social well-being for the poor and the middle class are among the top priorities of the government, the prime minister said.
He said providing subsidy amounts to the public through digital wallets will prove to be a milestone in achieving a cashless economy.
“The inclusion of the State Bank of Pakistan in the distribution of the Ramazan package will promote a cashless economy,” the prime minister said.
He stressed all relevant ministries and institutions to ensure maximising the scope and inclusion of the underprivileged in receiving subsidies.
He also directed officials concerned to present a comprehensive strategy containing practical measures for a better and more effective disbursement than the last year’s Ramazan package as soon as possible.
He also directed them to ensure that eligible low-income households were included in the assistance programme to the maximum extent possible. He also called for the creation of a digital dashboard and a monitoring system to oversee implementation.
PM Shehbaz said a Social Protection Wallet system was being introduced under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), under which SIM cards would be provided to eligible beneficiaries. He added that from March 2026 onward, assistance payments would be distributed digitally through these SIMs.
Solarisation of feeders
He directed that loss-making electricity feeders be shifted to solar power with the cooperation of local communities and provincial governments to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in remote areas of the country.
The prime minister said the initiative would help reduce financial losses of deficit-running feeders besides providing continuous and affordable electricity to those regions.
He directed immediate launching of pilot projects on high-loss feeders of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco).
He emphasised that consultation with elected representatives and active community participation would be ensured to guarantee the success and sustainability of the pilot projects. The meeting was informed that transitioning of loss-making feeders to solar power would create environmentally friendly, low-cost, and sustainable power generation.
The project will be implemented through a partnership involving local communities, provincial governments, and the federal government.
The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, besides the heads of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, and other senior officials.
Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2026
