LAHORE (MNN); Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Senator Rubina Khalid on Sunday visited the BISP Central Zonal Office Punjab in Lahore, where she briefed media representatives on the programme’s progress and major initiatives during a press conference.
Addressing the media, Senator Rubina Khalid said that on special directives of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Social Protection Wallet has been formally launched to ensure greater transparency and ease in the disbursement of financial assistance.
She said BISP is currently providing financial support to 10 million deserving women across the country, adding that nearly 50 percent of the process of distributing free SIMs has been completed.
The BISP chairperson said the programme is the largest initiative in Pakistan’s history aimed at integrating women into the social protection, digital and financial systems.
Referring to the death anniversary of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto falling tomorrow, she said Benazir Bhutto remains a symbol of courage, resilience and struggle, from whom women continue to draw inspiration and confidence. She added that her services for women’s rights and for Pakistan are unforgettable and recognised globally.
Explaining the digital wallet system, Rubina Khalid said financial assistance would now be transferred directly into the digital wallets of deserving women, eliminating the need for repeated visits to offices or payment centres. For this purpose, free SIMs are being provided through which digital wallets are being created.
She categorically stated that these SIMs are completely free and are issued only through BISP offices and centres. She clarified that BISP staff themselves activate the digital wallets and that no fee or charges are being taken under any BISP scheme.
She urged women to protect these SIMs like cash or wallets, as all future payments will be made through the digital wallets, enabling beneficiaries to access funds from anywhere.
Highlighting unemployment as a major national challenge, she said the Benazir Hunarmand Programme has been launched to provide skills to deserving individuals and help them become economically self-reliant. She recalled Benazir Bhutto’s words, saying that “skill is your true asset.”
Later, the BISP chairperson visited SIM distribution centres at LDA Sabzazar, GHS Ali Raza Abad and Shalamar Bhagwan Pura in Lahore, where she reviewed the process of free SIM distribution for the Social Protection Wallet.
She directed staff to ensure complete guidance for deserving women so they face no difficulties and also personally briefed beneficiaries on obtaining, using and safeguarding the free SIMs.
