mardan   -  Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar on Monday said that establishment of Women University in a city like Mardan was a welcome thing.  

She expressed these views while addressing a function here at Women University as a chief guest. The function was held to get information about the Ehsas Scholarship Programme. Vice-Chancellor Pro. Dr. Ghazala Yasmeen also addressed the function. Faculty members and students attend the function in large numbers.   

Dr Sania Nishtar said that Ehsas Scholarship Programme was the largest undergraduate programme in Pakistan. She said programme was a gift from Prime Minister Imran Khan to the talented and needy students of the country. She said that many students left their studies in metric and inter level due lack of funds, therefore this program in the first phase provided much financial help to the students studying throughout the country.  

Dr Sania also listened to the problems of the students regarding Ehsas Programme and assured that problems would be resolved. She urged the students to concentrate on their studies.  

In her address Prof. Dr. Ghazala Yasmeen thanked the chief guest and lauded her efforts in poverty alleviation. She requested the SAPM to create more opportunities in future for the students of Mardan, especially in Ehsas programme. She said that Women University Mardan was also giving scholarships to its students. Dr Ghazala said that the university would also provide loans to the talented female students according to a specific procedure in near future.  

Later, talking to media persons at the Deputy Commissioner office, Dr Sania Nishtar said that Ehsas Programme was 65% completed in the whole country while 45% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She said the programme was going on without any prejudice and deserving people would benefit from it.  

She said the programme data was completely digitalised and the government of Pakistan was the donor of this programme. She said 124 girls had received scholarships from Ehsas programme at Women’s University.  

The relief package will start from February. Ehsas Programme Survey includes Waseela Education, Ehsas Kafalat and Ehsas Income. She said the survey would be completed by the end of June. The survey, she said, was being conducted free from all kinds of linguistic and religious hatred. Later, Dr Sania Nishtar also visited tehsil Takhtbhai.