THE Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) was launched back in 2008 by then Pakistan People’s Party government. The aim of the programme was to support financially the most marginalised people.

It was launched across Pakistan so that a maximum number of people could get benefit from it. But, unfortunately, like other projects people got benefit of this programme on the basis of political affiliation, at least in my village, where 80 per cent of BISP cards were given to PPP stalwarts instead of those who really deserved.

It has been almost 12 years since the prgramme started but no authority ever checked the status of beneficiaries. In these 12 years, an army soldier must have served his two-thirds of service and he must have been planning for retirement by now.

I lodged a complaint at Citizens’ Portal and tagged people at the helm in a message on Twitter. But there has been no response.

I feel pain when deserving people are deprived of their rights. I urge the people to raise this issue with the government.

Zamin Ali

Gilgit-Baltistan

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2019