BISP strives for welfare of under privileged segments of society: Shazia

Islamabad:Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Shazia Marri on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty stated that the launch of the ‘Benazir Income Support Programme’ reflects the vision of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, which aims to provide a comprehensive system of social security to the disadvantaged sections of the society, especially women.

“It is to bring a sustainable and positive change in the lives of deprived families by providing economic and social security and ending poverty”, she said on Monday. October 17th is celebrated worldwide as the International Day for Eradication of Poverty.

On the occasion the Minister said that the significance of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) increases with respect to this day as the purpose of the day is to acknowledge the efforts and struggles of people living in poverty, to provide them with opportunities to move forward and to recognise that poverty is a violation of basic human rights which we need to be addressed. The main theme of this day is that honour is universal, that is, honour is not related to the economic condition of a person, but to his human values, the BISP chairperson continued and observed that in Pakistan, men and women are equally victims of social oppression due to poverty.

Under the BISP, Rs7,000 on quarterly basis are given to the deserving women through the ‘Benazir Kafalat programme’, and the children from 4 to 22 years of age of these women are given Benazir Taleemi Wazaif from Rs1,500 to Rs4,000 so that they can get education.

The BISP chairperson emphasised that compared to boys; the educational scholarships of girls are a little higher so that parents can educate their children with a relative ease.