SAHIWAL: Beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in Sahiwal district have lodged numerous complaints, accusing retailers and a single franchiser of financial exploitation.

They allege that retailers are unlawfully deducting Rs500-1,000 from their cash disbursements, resulting in widespread embezzlement during the distribution of quarterly tranches to over 90,000 beneficiaries.

The root cause of the issue appears to be the monopoly of a franchiser named Farooq Mobiles, which operates through a network of 60 affiliated retailers.

Observers claim this monopoly, endorsed by a head of a digital branchless private commercial bank, forces female beneficiaries to comply with exploitative demands.

Asad Mahmood, head of branchless banking at Bank Al-Falah, confirmed to Dawn that only one franchiser has been granted distribution rights in Sahiwal.

Retailers working under this franchiser exclusively receive electronic devices for transactions.

This arrangement enables substantial financial exploitation, as beneficiaries receive various cash installments, including Rs10,500 quarterly under BISP, Rs12,000-15,000 semi-annually under the Waseela Nashonuma programme, and Rs15,000-18,000 under the Waseela Taleem programme.

BISP officials say that Rs975 million is disbursed in one quarterly tranche in Sahiwal district alone. Over the past six weeks, BISP inspection teams from Islamabad and Lahore blacklisted 12 retailers following complaints of illegal deductions.

Complaints were filed by multiple beneficiaries, including Sharifain Bibi (village 90/9-L), Nasreen Bibi (village 190/9-L) and others, using BISP’s official complaint form.

Deputy BISP Director Shazia said that retailers’ data had been submitted under the Payment Complaint Management System for blacklisting. Despite these efforts, concerns persist over the bank’s capacity to ensure transparency and justice in handling millions of rupees in grants.

Questions also surround Bank Al-Falah’s alleged favoritism in awarding franchises. Muhammad Ali, proprietor of Crown Digital Services, filed a complaint alleging that the local branchless banking head failed to forward his franchise application.

He accused the bank of perpetuating the monopoly of Farooq Mobiles and claimed that it involved a broader corruption network linked to previously blacklisted franchiser Asif Mobiles.

Bank Al-Falah’s Regional Manager Shoaib denied any strict single-franchiser policy, saying the bank’s focus on ‘Return on Investme’t. However, local observers argue that the monopolization has financially and politically undermined the BISP programme in Sahiwal district.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2025