‘8m students getting scholarships, 9.3m women receiving stipend through BISP’

ISLAMABAD: As many as eight million students are getting education through Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) school scholarships and 9.3 million women are receiving stipend.

Addressing a training program, chairman, BISP, Dr Amjad Saqib claimed Pakistan is the biggest welfare state of the world supporting ten million families, adding the size of the Scandinavian population is smaller than the size covered under BISP.

He added that the BISP social protection initiatives were not promoting beggars or almstaking but rather it was trying to assure to the poorest that in the fight against poverty they were not alone.

He said a welfare state makes its citizens’ life easier by ensuring a safer life without discrimination with house, respect, education and health for all.

"The people who are less privileged and have no hope of betterment need help. The biggest poverty is of no hope for change which is the ultimate poverty," he remarked.

He asserted social protection is made through helping others making their lives easier and safe which is not only the duty of state but every individual.

Individual responsibility awakens after self realization of privileges availed by a person and his contribution for making others life equally convenient, he added.