PM reaffirms commitment to further expand BISP

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed his commitment to further expand the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to support deserving families.

He was addressing a ceremony in connection with the launching of Social Protection Accounts under the Benazir Income Support Programme in Islamabad.

The prime minister applauded the sincere efforts of Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri to bring improvement, transparency and expansion into this program within the span of one year only.

Terming the BISP program as a valuable welfare project, he said Benazir Bhutto Shaheed envisioned this program and then it was initiated back in 2008.

PM Shehbaz Sharif thanked the friendly countries who extended financial assistance to Pakistan during the recent difficult times. He said the country will stand on its feet by generating its own resources.

BIS Chairperson and Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri said the coalition government made a significant increase of 72 percent in the BISP budget and allocated Rs404.2 billion this year against RS235 billion in 2022.

She said each deserving family is being provided with quarterly assistance of Rs8750 under BISP. Highlighting the Benazir Scholarship for undergraduate programmes, the minister said over 92,000 scholarships are being given to deserving and talented students this year.

Regarding the Benazir Nashonuma Program, she said this program aims to address the issue of stunted growth and malnutrition among children and infants.

She said 488 facilitation centers have been established across the country in this regard and over 700,000 mothers and children are benefitting from this programme. She said that transgender persons have been included in BISP for the first time.