SWABI: Pakistan Peoples Party leaders here said on Wednesday that the federal government’s decision to exclude what was claimed as ‘undeserving beneficiaries’ from the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was in fact a violation of the Constitution.

Talking to mediapersons, they said that the BISP enjoyed constitutional protection. They said that when Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf assumed power after 2018 elections they tried to change the monogram and name of the programme, but failed to do so because it was having the constitutional cover.

They said that the PTI government first reduced funds for the people and now had decided to exclude 820,165 beneficiaries from BISP. They said that if the government had really acted honestly then the same number of deserving people should be immediately included in the programme.

PPP divisional general secretary Javid Iqilabi said that when PTI was providing Sehat Sahulat Cards on the basis of BISP to people during their previous government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa then it was considered a transparent programme.

Vow to protect rights of the poor

KP deputy information secretary of the party Gohar Iqilabi said that the provincial government should also revise the health card system because such cards were provided to the people on the basis of BISP data. He said that depriving people of their rights was against democratic norms.

PPP district president Mohammad Naeem said that the BISP received funds from various countries and institutions and depriving the poor people, especially women, of foreign assistance was a great surprise for them.

PROTEST: The opposition parties staged a protest demonstration here on Wednesday against the PTI government and termed the ruling party leadership incompetent.

The PPP, JUI-F, ANP, Qaumi Watan Party, Swabi QaumiMahaz and Pakistan Awami Party leaders gathered in Swabi and marched to Karnal Sher Khan Chowk in a procession.

Ghafoor Khan Jadoon, former provincial minister, said that the PTI leadership had failed to deliver. QWP leader Masood Jabar said that the government’s wrong policies had resulted in record price hike.

Maulana Fazal Ali, JUI-F’s former education minister, said that his party had started struggle against the PTI government because they knew that it could no deliver.

BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: The birth anniversary of father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was observed here on Wednesday.

In this connection, various programmes were held across the district where the participants paid rich tributes to Quaid-i-Azam. They vowed to work hard for progress and prosperity of the country while following the Quaid’s principles.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2019