PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan pledged to ensure that “poor people will no longer sleep on footpaths or spend nights in the open” as he fulfilled one of his campaign promises by inaugurating four shelters for homeless people in Peshawar on Friday.

The newly-installed facilities have the capacity to accommodate more than 400 people.  

Earlier in the day, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister, Mahmood Khan, said that homeless people -- including women, children, and differently-abled persons -- would be ensured of all basic facilities in their new homes, adding that the provincial government has all arrangements in place for a seamless transition.

Last month, the first phase of the project was launched in Lahore, the provincial capital of the Punjab province, under the directives of the prime minister. Plans are in place to build an additional four shelters elsewhere in the province.  

“All household facilities should be provided to those living in the facility,” PM Khan had said at the time while issuing directions to the provincial government.

Ajmal Wazir, the spokesperson for the KP government, told Arab News that the project was the need of the hour for the homeless people in the area. “This initiative is part of Imran Khan’s vision to provide shelter (to homeless) and ensure their basic needs are met,” he said, adding that the provincial government was contemplating measures to extend the program to every district of the province.  

Sher Wali, a 48-year-old daily wage laborer, was jubilant over the initiative, saying that the accommodation and amenities provided would help him save his hard-earned money. “With that money, I can now educate my children so that they can earn their livelihood in a more dignified manner,” he said. 

In November, a photograph depicting a homeless man and his three children -- sleeping on the streets in Lahore while braving the tough winter conditions -- went viral on social media, prompting the prime minister to launch the Panah Gah (a shelter home) project for the homeless.  

“The provincial government is all set to ensure that food, healthcare, an uninterrupted power supply, and transportation facilities are provided to those residing in the shelter homes,” Wazir said. 

During the inauguration of shelter homes on Friday, PM Khan announced plans to launch an anti-drugs program from Islamabad soon.