Islamabad: With the inauguration of an Ehsaas Saylani langar at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) here on Friday, the availability of two square meals will no more be a worry for patients and attendants traveling to Islamabad for treatment from far-flung areas, with scant or no resources to buy food and shelter. The langar will serve two meals a day to at least 1,000 persons, including patients and their attendants.
The PM’s Special Advisor on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr. Sania Nishtar and Advisor on Health Dr. Zafar Mirza performed the groundbreaking of the PIMS langar. The first prototype langar was inaugurated by the PM on October 7, 2019 at Peshawar More in Islamabad.
While there has been lot of criticism on langars, who better than a poor patient, an attendant, a laborer, or a homeless person, who will otherwise sleep on an empty stomach, explain how the availability of free food has lessened their despair and restored their dignity and self-reliance. Free food is a blessing for those whose lifespan is dotted with days when they have had to almost forgo lunch or dinner. Langars are part of the PM’s ‘Mazdoor ka Ehsaas’ initiative and are primarily meant to serve meals to poorest segments of the society.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Sania said, “The Prime Minister is personally committed to ensuring that no one goes to bed hungry in Pakistan and Ehsaas is working hard to realize that vision.”
Elaborating, she said, “Under the Ehsaas framework, the government is mainly extending logistic support to langars through a strategic approach to collaboration with zero cost implications. The second way in which the government is playing its role is by setting safety and quality standards, and the third is by disseminating information widely.”
