ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety has recommended that the Finance Ministry extend full support to both Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal for strengthening human resource capacity.
Senator Sardar Al Haj Muhammad Umer chaired the committee meeting on Tuesday to review the performance, projects, and finances of BISP and Bait-ul-Maal.Chairperson BISP Senator Rubina Khalid informed that a total of 11 officers of Grade-19 and above, primarily from the Education Department, were serving on deputation. She clarified that no officers of the said grades from the Health Department were serving in BISP.
Expressing reservations, she stated that such practices create unavoidable gaps in parent departments and weaken institutional memory when deputationists return.She highlighted that although BISP intends to recruit new employees to enhance its functionality, restrictions from the Finance Division due to financial constraints have delayed fresh appointments.
The committee unanimously recommended the summoning of finance minister in the next meeting to deliberate on the availability of sufficient funds for making new appointments in BISP.
Responding to questions regarding the registration process in BISP, the chairperson BISP clarified that eligibility was determined through defined poverty parameters, leaving no room for external recommendations or interference.
She emphasised that BISP was internationally recognised as one of the most transparent social safety programmes and several countries had shown their intention of seeking Pakistan’s expertise in establishing similar initiatives.
The committee chairman appreciated the BISP’s efforts and stressed for the expansion of the programme to all corners of the country. He affirmed that BISP was not linked to any political party, declaring it a national programme.
The committee was further briefed on the Benazir Nashonuma Programme (BNP), implemented in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP). The initiative provides nutritious food, healthcare, and quarterly check-ups for children, leading to a reported 6.4 per cent reduction in food scarcity.
Additionally, the committee was apprised of the recently launched Benazir Hunarmand Programme, which offers vocational training courses of three to six months for individuals holding Matric certificate and bearing the age up to 35 years, exclusively from BISP beneficiary families.
The committee also discussed matters concerning Bait-ul-Maal, particularly advance payments made for products without delivery.The officials concerned informed that an inquiry was under way and pledged to submit the report within a month.