ISLAMABAD: The main opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has condemned the federal government’s act of removing the picture of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto from the official logo of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and vowed to lodge strong protest over this move.

In a statement issued by the party’s media office here on Sunday, the PPP MNA from Sindh Dr Nafeesa Shah termed the federal government’s move “malevolent” and threatened to make strong protest in the National Assembly and Senate against the act.

“The government’s act proves that usurper dictator Gen Zia’s endeared still have bitter feelings for Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” the PPP MNA said.

Dr Shah said that the BISP had been approved by the parliament to pay tribute to services, sacrifices and struggle of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto for the cause of constitution and democracy.

Launched by the previous PPP government in July 2008, the BISP is considered to be the largest social welfare programme in the country with nearly Rs90 billion distributed to 5.4 million beneficiaries in 2016.

The PPP MNA said that soon after coming to power after the 2013 general elections, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had desired to end the programme but he could not do so due to the protest by international donor agencies.

Dr Shah said that Mr Sharif was military dictator Gen Zia’s blue-eyed boy and he appointed former military dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf’s near and dear ones as the chairperson of the BISP. “Those trying to erase Benzair Bhutto’s name will soon be erased themselves from the pages of history,” she concluded.

Talking to Dawn, PPP secretary general and spokesman Farhatullah Babar said that they had come to know about the change in the logo when they saw huge advertisements in the newspapers on Sunday morning.

Mr Babar recalled that at the time of the presentation of the first budget by the PML-N government, the ruling party had tried to change the name of the BISP, but they were prevented from doing by the PPP members in the parliament. He alleged that it seemed that the government was still working on the same agenda of changing the name of the programme or converting it into poverty alleviation fund.

Mr Babar said that the BISP had been provided a legal cover through a law, and, therefore, it would not be easy for the government to change its name or the objectives without the approval of the parliament.

It is not for the first time that the PPP has expressed its apprehensions that the government wants to change the name of the BISP, but the government members and ministers have always denied such reports.

The official website of the BISP still carries the old logo with the picture of Ms Bhutto. Interestingly, the logo also carries the picture of disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif with Ms Bhutto.

Despite repeated attempts, BISP Chairperson Marvi Memon or any other official of the BISP could not be contacted for comments.

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2018