MUZAFFARABAD: Acting President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Chaudhry Latif Akbar on Wednesday said that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was a continuation of the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) manifesto, “Roti, Kapra, Makaan” (Bread, Clothing, and Shelter).

“This programme is the most transparent welfare initiative in the world and aligns with the vision of the late Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed to empower women,” he said at a ceremony organized under the aegis of BISP at the President House.

The event’s chief guest was BISP Chairperson Rubina Khalid, while AJK Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Mian Abdul Waheed, Minister for Wildlife and Fisheries Sardar Javed Ayoub, PPP officials, BISP beneficiaries, and a large number of civil society representatives were also in attendance.

The acting AJK president remarked that the leadership of the PPP had always served as a role model.

“Even those who had previously engaged in political victimization now cite Benazir Bhutto as an example during challenging times,” he said.

He recalled that former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had granted AJK residents identity cards and passports, laying the foundation for poverty eradication.

“Today, prosperity can be seen across AJK, which is a testament to Bhutto’s vision,” he added.

Mr Akbar further highlighted that the PPP had introduced revolutionary measures for women’s empowerment, ensuring opportunities for over 50% of the population to progress in all sectors, with continued support from the Government of Pakistan.

The acting president urged the launch of special welfare programmes for refugees from occupied Jammu and Kashmir who had been forced to leave their homeland and whose families continued to face oppression.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Khalid described BISP as Pakistan’s largest welfare initiative, benefiting millions of deserving families, particularly women.

She reiterated that the programme was designed to economically empower women, as envisioned by Benazir Bhutto and materialized by President Asif Ali Zardari.

She announced the introduction of a new banking model under BISP, which would allow deserving women to open bank accounts, ensuring that theyreceivedfinancial assistance without any deductions.

Additionally, she said, the registration processhad beenfurther streamlined, with verifications conducted every three years to include more eligible families.

Furthermore, under the Benazir Hunarmand Programme, BISPwas providingskill development training to the children of deserving women, enabling them to achieve financial independence. The Benazir Nashonuma Programmewas also being implemented, offering financial aid to pregnant women to improve maternal and child health, she said. Highlighting BISP’s role in education, Ms. Khalid said that scholarshipswere being awardedto children with school attendance above 70%, promoting literacy and retention. “Under this programme, women are recognized as the heads of their households, making BISP the second-largest female registration platform after Nadra,” she said.

“In the event of any natural disaster, we now have the capability to deliver aid to those in need within a day,” she added.

Reaffirming BISP’s commitment to poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment, she pledged that every possible measurewould be takento support deserving families.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2025