COVID-19: Khusro welcomes UK’s £2.6 million aid to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Makhdum Khusro Bakhtiar has welcomed United Kingdom’s £ 2.6 million (US $ 3.224 M) aid to Pakistan for COVID-19 response through World Health Organization.

In press release issued by Ministry of Economic Affair said the UK’s Department for International Development has provided this aid to Pakistan for understanding the communities to protect them better during the epidemic.

Alongside grant assistance for the Education sector programs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab, poverty alleviation through Pakistan National Cash Transfer Programme-BISP and Skill Development Programmes in various parts of the country.

Khusro Bakhtyar said this while sharing his views with British High Commissioner to Pakistan Dr Christian Turner, who called on Federal Minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtiar in his office.

Federal Minister recognized the role of United Kingdom as one of the largest development partners of Pakistan.

During the meeting, the minister also discussed the possibility of scaling up the development assistance through DFID by aligning its financial and technical cooperation in Ehsaas Programme to reduce inequality, invest in people and lift lagging districts, low cost housing and strengthening Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) amid the pandemic.

The British High Commissioner appreciated the efforts of the Government of Pakistan to battle the epidemic and steering the economy to support the financially vulnerable segment of country in wake of coronavirus.

He said that Pakistan and UK enjoyed historic and deeply rooted bond which would be enhanced through socioeconomic cooperation in future.

Both of the high-ups  expressed their strong commitment to further the cooperation for COVID-19 related emergency activities.