LARKANA: After widespread complaints of unauthorised ‘commission’ charged by unscrupulous elements from Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries, its chairperson is actively working on going for banking system for all such transactions.

“We are trying to get rid of this ‘retailer mafia’ by switching over to the banking system,” BISP chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid said.

She was talking to the media after presiding over a meeting of the programme’s stakeholders at Deputy Commissioner’s Office here on Friday.

“In order to address these complaints, we are moving towards the banking system to bring an end to the role of these ‘middlemen’, she said.

Move follows widespread complaints of deductions

According to her, the financial assistance will be deposited in the bank account of each beneficiary.

‘Widows, unmarried women may also be enlisted’

“We are also considering inclusion of widows and unmarried women in the list of beneficiaries so that they, too, could benefit from the programme, she said.

Senator Khalid said that the BISP was also in negotiations with the Pakistan Post for sending the financial assistance to beneficiaries through via post offices.

She noted that in Larkana alone, around there are 99,000 beneficiaries of the BISP.

She said that this year, the programme’s budget has been increased to Rs700 billion, benefiting over 10 million deserving women. The programme would be further expanded by including more beneficiaries, she added.

She said strict action will be taken against those found deducting any commission from BISP beneficiaries’ amounts.

She made it clear that there is no form or fee involved in the enlistment of women seeking assistance, and warned that fraudulent ‘prize schemes’ and fake mobile messages are being used to deceive deserving women. She asked all beneficiaries to believed only on messages sent from BISP’s number, 8171.

She also called upon the media to help identify those involved in deducting money from BISP amounts so that strict action could be taken against them.

Scholarships available

Senator Rubina Khald encouraged BISP beneficiaries to enroll their school-going children as scholarships are provided under the programme’s education support component.

During her visit to Larakana city, she visited a BISP centre at Otha Chowk where several beneficiaries complained to her about the ‘cuts’ applied in their actual amount by unscrupulous elements.

She said that the BISP is the vision of [slain prime minister] Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto which President Asif Ali Zardari has brought into reality. Through this revolutionary initiative, millions of women are being included in the national registry and are receiving official identity recognition.

She said that on June 21, on the occasion of Benazir Bhutto’s birthday, President Zardari inaugurated the ‘Benazir Hunarmand Programme’ at the President House which is aimed at empowering youth and women by offering them employment opportunities.

She also visited Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto and offered fateha on the graves of Pakistan Peoples Party founder chairman and executed prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto and other martyrs of the family. She also placed floral wreaths on the graves of Bhuttos at the mausoleum.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2025