TIMES REPORT
LAHORE: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid visited the BISP Central Zonal Office in Lahore and reviewed payment mechanisms and ongoing operations.
Director General Punjab Naseer-ud-Din Sarwar briefed her on the programme’s activities. Senator Rubina Khalid said digital wallets had been introduced on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to make payments to women beneficiaries transparent, secure and convenient.
She said digital wallets had been opened for 90 percent of beneficiaries, while an interoperability system would allow them to withdraw funds from authorised agents of partner banks anywhere in Pakistan. She said beneficiaries would receive SMS notifications after funds were transferred to their accounts.
Rubina Khalid said digital wallet activation and SIMs provided through BISP were free, while a Rs280 service charge had been fixed for cash withdrawals. She advised beneficiaries not to hand over their phones or SIMs to agents and to protect their personal information.
She said BISP reflected Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s vision and helped deserving families move towards self-reliance rather than creating dependency. Calling deserving women “beggars”, she added, undermined their dignity and self-respect.
Citing World Bank research, she said every rupee spent through BISP generated around Rs2.34 in local economic activity. She reiterated BISP’s zero-tolerance policy against corruption and said no irregularity would be tolerated.
She also warned beneficiaries against fraud, stressing that 8171 is the only official BISP number and advising them to ignore calls or messages from other numbers.
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