Prime Minister Launches Sehat Card Programme for Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan

Islamabad |
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday formally launched the Prime Minister’s Sehat Card Programme for residents of Islamabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and Gilgit-Baltistan, extending free healthcare coverage to millions of citizens in the three regions.
Addressing the launch ceremony, the prime minister said access to healthcare and medical treatment was a fundamental right of every citizen and that it was the state’s responsibility to support vulnerable segments of society. He described the initiative as a continuation of the government’s commitment to public welfare and social protection.

Shehbaz Sharif said health was the most valuable asset in life, enabling citizens to pursue education, employment, sports and other social activities with dignity. He noted that while the elite could afford expensive treatment abroad, ordinary citizens often faced serious difficulties in accessing quality healthcare, making state support essential.
The prime minister recalled that the Sehat Card programme was originally launched in 2016 under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and was later expanded across several provinces, benefiting millions of families. He said healthcare delivery remained a top government priority and congratulated the federal health ministry and its team for extending the programme to Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
He also said the proposal to introduce the Sehat Card in Sindh was under consideration and that consultations would be held with the Sindh chief minister to ensure healthcare facilities were made available there as well. Existing health programmes, he added, were already operational in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab.
Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said the programme would provide free medical treatment to more than 10 million people in the three regions, with around 70 hospitals included in the scheme. He said all provinces except Sindh were currently benefiting from the Sehat Card, calling it a historic step towards strengthening Pakistan’s healthcare system.
Prime Minister’s Sehat Card Programme Chief Executive Officer Muhammad Arshad Qaimkhani said the initiative had evolved into universal health coverage after a decade of efforts. He said cashless treatment would be available at more than 600 public and private hospitals nationwide, using national identity cards and children’s B-Forms as health cards.
The ceremony concluded with the prime minister distributing Sehat Cards to beneficiaries from Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.