‘Panahgahs’ offer festive ‘Iftar’ to daily wagers

ISLAMABAD: The festive spirit was witnessed at over 100 countrywide ‘Panahgahs’, where hundreds of thousands fasting labourers and daily wage earners broke their fast in an environment of compassion and sharing on regular basis.

‘Iftar’ and ‘Sehar’ are being served at ‘Panahgahs’ with great enthusiasm, yet strict adherence to the anti-coronavirus standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ward off the looming threat of its outbreak at such crowded places.

The anti-COVID-19 SOPs such as mask-wearing, hand-washing and physical distancing are strictly being followed at all the ‘Panahgahs’, where fresh fruits, snacks, fritters and beverages are a regular feature of ‘Iftar’.

“We are delighted by the cooperation of the ‘Panahgah’ dwellers, who are helpful in the implementation of the best practices,” said Prime Minister’s Focal Person Naseem ur Rehman, who broke his fast among the G-9 ‘Panahgahs’ residents.

Sharing the feelings of almost every dweller at the ‘Panahgah’, Ahsan Hameed form Upper Dir told APP that they wholeheartedly welcomed the government’s leadership role in making proper arrangements for ‘Sehar’ and ‘Iftar’ at such places. ?Before the start of ‘Panahgahs’, we were always anxious for not knowing that from where the ‘Iftar’ will come, but now we have a great feeling to know that someone is preparing ‘Sehar’ and ‘Iftar’ for us and we know where to get it from,? he remarked.

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s poor-friendly initiatives are literally paying dividends as thousands of poor people are not only getting food from ‘Panahgahs’, but also from the mobile kitchens distributing nutritious food boxes at special routes of major cities.

The PM?s focal person told APP that the mobile kitchens launched as a pilot project under the prime minister’s ‘Koi Bhuka Na Soye’ programme, were serving meals to the poor in major cities like Faisalabad, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi. Plans were underway to replicate the programme across the country to reach a larger number of poor people with nutritious food, he added. ?The government feels that it is its obligation and responsibility to rise up to the challenge and relive hunger particularly in the holy month of Ramazan.