PESHAWAR - People from all walks of life, including politicians and members of the civil society, here on Tuesday welcomed the launch of PM cash emergency programme, and termed it a major relief for the poor segments of the society in the wake of coronavirus crisis.

Syed Ishtiaq Urmar, Provincial Minister for Environment and Forest, while highly appreciating the programme, said that Rs12,000 cash would help minimize economic woes of the downtrodden people.

He said coronavirus and the resulting lockdown had affected almost all segments of the society, especially the daily wagers and labourers, and special initiatives of the present government were aimed at not only helping them financially but also alleviating poverty by generating employment opportunities for them.

The minister said Imran Khan was the only prime minister of Pakistan whose policies revolved around poor people such as daily wagers and labourers.

He said billions of rupees were already distributed among the poor families under the Ehsas Assistance Programme across the country.

Appreciating the decisions taken by the KP and Punjab governments to allow public transport on roads, the minister hoped the decisions would immensely help ease economic difficulties of people, associated with transport sector. He said people of KP were largely associated with this sector, and lifting of restrictions ahead of Eidul Fitr would benefit the poor people from Dera Ismael Khan to Chitral. Sumbul Riaz, an economist, has also lauded the prime minister’s cash emergency programme for jobless people and termed it a step forward towards socio-economic empowerment of the underprivileged people.

She said the lockdown, imposed in the wake of COVID-19, had adversely affected economic growth and strict fiscal and monetary policies were required to bring economy back on track.

Professor Dr Muhammad Naeem also welcomed PM’s Cash Emergency Programme, expressing optimism that it would help the poor.

He further said resumption of transport and train service was a praiseworthy step, ahead of Eidul Fitr that would help the government employees, labourers, daily wagers and those working in mines to celebrate the religious festival with their loved ones.