ISLAMABAD: The government of Balochistan has approved a Ramzan relief package that will provide ration supplies to 328,000 low-income families, state media reported.
Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Jahanzaib Khan said authorities will distribute the ration packs across all districts through eight-member coordination committees.
Khan said officials have already dispatched supplies to 20 districts. The remaining districts will receive their allocations in the coming days, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
He pledged to ensure full transparency in the distribution process and said the government would not compromise on the quality of the ration packages.
The provincial initiative follows Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s launch of a Rs38 billion ($136 million) nationwide Ramadan relief program on Saturday. The federal package includes direct digital cash transfers of Rs13,000 ($47) each to 12.1 million low-income families.
The government discontinued the Utility Store-based subsidy system last year, citing quality concerns, long queues and administrative inefficiencies.
Authorities in Pakistan traditionally announce relief measures ahead of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn to sunset and household spending rises due to increased demand for essential items such as flour, sugar and cooking oil.
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Pakistan’s national space agency said last week that the Ramadan crescent is likely to be visible on Feb. 18, with the first fast expected on Feb. 19, subject to official confirmation.
