t was a hot and humid Friday morning in Islamabad on August 1, but inside the air-conditioned hall of the Benazir Income Support Programme headquarters, the atmosphere pulsed not with heat, but with emotion, pride and hope. The audience broke into warm applause as four students from BISP-supported low-income families stepped onto the stage to be honoured for their remarkable performance in the recent matriculation examinations.

The who’s who of the BISP filled the room, bearing witness to the proud moment. On stage, Senator Rubina Khalid, the BISP chairperson and Amer Ali Ahmed, the BISP secretary, beamed with pride as they welcomed each student individually, celebrating their resilience and success. All four, beneficiaries of the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif programme, a nationwide conditional cash transfer initiative that provides educational stipends to children of BISP beneficiary families, had risen above poverty and social pressures to shine in their exams, securing top positions in their boards. Their journey is a powerful reminder that when given the right support, even the most disadvantaged children can dream big and achieve their goals.

Among them was Hafiz Asad Raza, a quiet but determined boy from a remote village in Fort Abbas tehsil in Bahawalnagar district. His story is one of silent perseverance and grit. Asad lives in a modest one-room house with his seven siblings and parents, tucked away in a dusty corner of southern Punjab. His father, a bus helper, wakes up before dawn each day to lift luggage and call out destinations under the burning sun and in biting winter winds. Despite being the son of a man who works on highways, Asad had never travelled beyond his hometown until the BISP invited him to Islamabad.

Clad in a simple black shalwar qamees and worn brown chappals, Asad was accompanied by his mother and schoolteacher. His father couldn’t afford to miss two days of work. “I could not believe it when my teacher told me I had secured the third position in the Bahawalpur Board,” Asad said, his voice composed but his eyes gleaming with pride. “The support my family receives from the BISP is not just money; it’s a lifeline.”

Asad has been enrolled in the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif programme for two years. The monthly stipend helped keep him in school when many of his friends were forced to drop out and take up work. In a cramped home where finding a quiet corner to study was nearly impossible, he stayed focused and kept going. “It has never been easy to study in a one-room house with so many people around,” he said, “but I was determined. I want to return this favour to the society by spreading education in my community.”

Seated beside him was Maryam Bibi, a 15-year-old from Multan who had also travelled out of her city for the first time. Her journey, too, is remarkable. Maryam topped the Multan Board exams, a feat she still finds hard to believe. “I thought it was a mistake when I heard that I had stood first,” she said, eyes brimming with gratitude. Her father is a daily wage labourer. The family lives in a modest two-room home. “Girls in my neighbourhood often drop out after middle school. Educating daughters is seen as a luxury,” she said. But her mother, a BISP beneficiary, was determined to give her daughter a chance. “This stipend helped us buy books, pay fees, and most importantly, believe that Maryam could go far,” she said.

Also recognised at the ceremony were Momina Fatima, who secured the third position in the Multan Board and Mahwish Khan from Karak district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All four students were awarded certificates, applauded and taken on a trip to Murree, a dream journey for each of them.

By reducing financial stress, the BISP helps parents focus on their children’s education, health and nutrition. This breaks the cycle of poverty and builds a better future for the next generation.

The backbone of these students’ success stories is the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif programme, a nationwide conditional cash transfer (CCT) initiative that began as a pilot project in just five districts in November 2012. Encouraged by its early impact, the programme was gradually scaled up, reaching 32 districts by 2015, 50 districts by 2018, and 100 districts by January 2020. By July 2020, it was extended to every district in Pakistan. Since then, the programme has supported over 12 million children from low-income families in accessing education. Through quarterly stipends ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,000, with higher amounts for girls to encourage female education, and a graduation bonus of Rs 3,000 for girls completing primary school, the initiative has become a cornerstone of the BISP’s strategy to break the cycle of poverty through sustained investment in human capital.

“These four students are shining examples of what Pakistan’s poorest children can achieve when given the right support,” said Senator Khalid. “But they are not unique. Millions more across the country have received scholarships under the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif programme. All of them are our stars. This is what Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto envisioned: empowerment through education; inclusion through opportunity; and a future where no child is held back because of poverty. Today, this vision is being carried forward with the unwavering support of President Asif Ali Zardari, who remains committed to building a more inclusive and equitable Pakistan.”

During 2024-2025 alone, 2.69 million new children were enrolled across all provinces and regions, including over 1 million in the Punjab, 823,000 in Sindh and 610,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Since its inception, the programme has disbursed a total of Rs 215.9 billion, making it a key pillar of human capital investment in Pakistan. Under this initiative, families receive stipends conditional upon two co-responsibilities: enrolment in a school or college and maintaining at least 70 percent quarterly attendance. As Senator Khalid puts it, “This programme is about more than just financial support; it is about building a future together rooted in education, dignity and opportunity.”

Some critics argue that cash transfer programmes like BISP make people dependent on government support. But global development experts, including those at the World Bank and the ILO, say that countries should spend at least 20 per cent of household income on social protection for vulnerable groups. The BISP gives an average of Rs 4,500 per month to each family. This is only about 10-12 per cent of a household’s monthly income. This small amount is making a big difference. The support is not just helping families survive, it is helping them grow. The success of students supported under the Benazir Taleemi Wazaif programme is proof of that. By reducing financial stress, the BISP helps parents focus on their children’s education, health and nutrition. This breaks the cycle of poverty and builds a better future for the next generation.

BISP Secretary Amer Ali Ahmed welcomed the students with warmth and admiration, engaging them in conversation about their journeys and the programme that supported them. “These four children are one of the best examples of the success and impact of BISP,” he said. “They are our brand ambassadors. They are our pride. The philosophy of this programme is rooted in women’s empowerment. Today we see that vision taking shape.” He said that over 10 million families were currently part of the BISP, highlighting the programme’s scale and relevance.

As the event drew to a close, the students posed for photographs, beaming, hopeful and full of dreams. They had come from places often forgotten in mainstream narratives, but today, their names were being applauded in the capital, showing the silent but powerful promise of what sustained, targeted public support can achieve.

Abdul Sattar Mazhar, a deputy director at Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, said it was the largest CCT initiative in the BISP. “So far, the BISP has disbursed over Rs 215 billion in education stipends to more than 12 million children,” he said. “The main pillars of the programme are ensuring school enrolment, preventing dropouts and promoting sustainability by requiring at least 70 per cent attendance from students each quarter.” He said that the programme was not just about financial assistance, but about fostering a long-term commitment to education in disadvantaged communities.

The writer is an Islamabad-based journalist, researcher and media trainer. A former Daniel Pearl/ AFPP fellow, he shared in The LA Times’ 2016 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news. He tweets @AounSahi