Over 3500 needy enjoy dinner, sleep in Panahgahs

ISLAMABAD: Shelter Homes of the federal capital were providing daily homelike dine and sleep environment to over 3,500 destitute and homeless in harsh winter’s condition.

The facilities offer to over 500 homeless persons for their stay at night in a cozy atmosphere during cold weather and food centers (Langar Khanas) were serving nutritious hygienic meal daily to more than 3,000 poor and needy, according to official data issued here.“Prior to opening of shelter homes in Islamabad, I was forced to sleep sometime at bus stands and occasionally in public parks, but now there are home like facilities at key locations of Islamabad that not only provide a night-stay, but also serve food under a very neat and clean environment,” said a labourer, Abdul Rehman Khan while talking to this scribe at Peshawar Morr ‘Panahgah’.

He lauded government’s efforts for taking care of its downtrodden segments of society, saying it was the first time in the history of Pakistan that poor people were being owned by the state.

Another daily wager, Asghar Khan said earlier, he used to pay Rs2,500 per month for a small room at Faizabad, and had to spend between Rs3,000 and Rs3,500 every month for food. However, those shelter homes helped him save more than Rs6,000 every month, which he could spend on his family to improve their living standards.

Asghar said he was proud of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who really cared about the poor people and took several initiatives for their welfare.

“‘Panahgahs’ were fully operational at over five main locations of the Federal Capital including Bara Kahu, Mandi Mor, Peshawar Mor, Tarlai and Tarnol,” Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Shelter Homes Naseem ur Rehman said.

He said there were around 93 dedicated places and a large number of Langar Khanas (food centers) across the country that had served around 150,000 poor people to this day by providing healthy food and night stay in hygienic settings.

Naseem said Rs300 was being spent on each dweller every day, helping the poor people, especially migrant workers to save Rs6,000 per month that obviously provided him an opportunity to directly spend the hard earned money on his family welfare.