ZUBAIR QURESHI
Some 10,000 soaps, phenyl bottles (86) insect sprays, facemasks (500), sensitizers, washing detergents, dishwashing soaps and powders and other disinfecting chemicals were handed over to Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Panagah Naseemur Rehman on Monday under the “Help Keep Panagah Clean” initiative. The handing over ceremony took place at the Panagah in Bhara Kahu. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Women Wing’s Deputy Secretary General and Chairperson of the UC 28, Fawzia Arshad handed over the urgently-needed supplies to Naseemur Rehman and hoped civil society, philanthropists and social welfare organizations as well as individuals would also come forward and contribute to this noble cause. President PTI, Islamabad Farid Rehman, former Senior Vice President of the Women Wing, PTI Islamabad, Parveen Shahid, lady councilor UC 28 Saba Afzal, PTI members and workers were also present on the occasion. They had joined hands to give impetus to the campaign for scaling it up across the seven shelter houses in twin cities. Appreciating their gesture of goodwill and generosity towards the poor and the needy, Naseemur Rehman said it was a timely help that inspired the Panagah team to scale up efforts for promoting targeted hygienic practices to keep the Shelter Houses beneficiaries safe from catching coronavirus infection. This will not only help us maintain the minimum hygiene standards at all the seven Panagahs in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi but would also strengthen efforts aimed at disinfecting the premises and taking all precautions necessary to check virus spread, he said. Panagah, in accordance with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan is a step towards establishment of Welfare State and guided by the core values of compassion, equity, state and social responsibility and a deep sense of respect for all, more importantly, for the vulnerable and toiling masses. Presently, there are a total of seven working in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and operating in full scale even in the times of social distancing and lockdown due to corona virus threat. More than 3,000 persons are benefiting from these services. “All the necessary precautions are being observed by the staff as well as the beneficiaries and masks, hand sanitizers are there to save the visitors and the staff from virus,” said Naseemur Rehman while replying to a question. The number of those who are served two-time meals daily has increased because of prevailing lockdown and lack of opportunities for the daily wage workers etc, but the shelter houses are coping with this increase in demand and providing best services to them, he said.
