ISLAMABAD: As dem­anded by two mainstream political parties, the caretaker government on Fri­day removed chairperson of the Benazir Income Sup­port Programme (BISP) Marvi Memon from her office.

A notification issued by the government said Ms Memon had been removed from her office.

Former MNA Memon, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), served as head of the BISP for over three years replacing another PML-N leader Enver Baig in Feb 2015.

It became a source of concern for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as to why she was not removed when the caretaker government replaced all heads of institutions, local administrations and police. She also enjoyed the status of a federal minister.

The PPP had written to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), seeking removal of Ms Memon as the BISP chairperson.

Earlier, a letter by the PPP Information Secretary Dr Nafisa Shah had stated that Ms Memon did not resign like other cabinet ministers at the end of the five-year term of the PML-N government.

PPP believed that the BISP was a highly influential programme which disbursed money to some 5.2 million families and could easily manipulate the forthcoming elections.

Similarly, the PTI had called for the removal of Ms Memon fearing that she was a political appointee and could unduly influence the general elections.

Senior PTI leader Azam Swati said that his party had serious reservations against all such persons who had the potential of influencing the upcoming elections.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2018