ISLAMABAD: Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Syed Imran Ahmad Shah told the National Assembly that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) now has a total budget allocation of Rs 716 billion.
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The minister described BISP as one of the world’s leading finance-based social protection initiatives during the Question Hour session.
Three Core Components Drive Operations
BISP functions through three main pillars: the Kafalat unconditional cash assistance programme, the Nashonuma nutrition support initiative, and Taleemi Wazaif educational stipends. The minister stressed BISP’s international recognition for transparency and scale.
He clarified that BISP is strictly an income-support programme and does not independently handle disaster relief during floods, earthquakes, or other emergencies.
Defined Role in Disasters and Governance
Any disaster response requires formal government policy directions or coordination with bodies like the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and provincial authorities. BISP operates as an autonomous entity with its own chairperson and governing board.
Proposals for mandate expansion or new initiatives must come from the board before being forwarded to the federal government.
Nationwide Network and Eligibility Criteria
The programme maintains a comprehensive network of regional offices, facilitation centres, hospital desks, and dynamic registration points across provinces down to tehsil level. Beneficiaries are selected via the Proxy Means Test (PMT), with the current poverty score threshold at 32.
Eligible households receive Rs 7,500 per quarter under Kafalat.
Scale and Commitment to Transparency
More than 10 million beneficiaries are enrolled nationwide, making BISP one of the region’s largest social safety nets. The minister reaffirmed the government’s dedication to strengthening BISP as a sustainable, rules-based system with strong governance, accountability, and alignment to international commitments, including with the IMF.