MUZAFFARABAD: The federal government of Pakistan the PML-N would ensure that no deserving woman at the Line of Control (LoC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) remains deprived of financial assistance from Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

This was stated by Minister of State and chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon during her visit to Neelum valley, a BISP official told Dawn.

While interacting with different people in Kundal Shahi and Athmuqam, she asserted that BISP was committed to providing dignity, empowerment and meaning to the lives of its beneficiaries.

“The BISP will provide a real list of poor [people] to the government for effective service delivery,” she said.

Ms Memon told them that national roll out of resurvey would commence in February 2018 and ensure 100pc coverage of the population living near the LoC, as these people were not only terror struck but the poverty indicators are also high in this area.

“Rest assured, the BISP will make extra efforts for their coverage and make it sure that no deserving is left out,” she said.

Ms Memon announced on the occasion expansion of BISP Waseela-e-Taleem (WeT) to two more districts of AJK - Neelum and Haveli.

As many as 10,374 children in Neelum district and 16,442 in Haveli district were likely to be enrolled during the expansion process which would begin in March 2018, she said.

At the moment, 40,220 children were enrolled in three AJK districts under WeT. They included 13,339 children in Bagh, 19,140 in Kotli and 7,741 in Mirpur.

The BISP chairperson also visited the house of Nargis Bibi, a BISP beneficiary, and inquired from her about the transparent delivery of money order by Pakistan Post.

In response, Ms Bibi said she was receiving the BISP stipend on regular basis.

While talking to local PML-N leaders and workers, Ms Memon also reaffirmed Pakistan’s support for the innocent Kashmiris braving unrelenting atrocities in the India held territory.

“Pakistan will continue to extend political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri brethren struggling for their internationally acknowledged right to self-determination,” she said.

Condemning unprovoked ceasefire violations by Indian army along the LoC, she called upon international peace agencies to take stock of the situation so that human lives could be safeguarded.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2017