At a conference on "Social Protection in Pakistan," speakers discussed the performance of the Benazir Income Support Programme since its launch in 2008. Many called for serious reforms, noting the passage of the 18th Amendment and reports that the real value of the BISP's assistance has fallen sharply due to inflation.

The conference, organized by the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS), was held in Islamabad on Wednesday.

A senior research fellow at IDEAS, Dr Anjum Nasim, claimed that due to four years of persistent inflation and heavy government borrowing, the real value of the monthly Rs1000 the BISP provides to poor families has fallen by over 60 per cent. (A recent World Bank report projected a reduction of 25 percent.)