ISLAMABAD:Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed commitment to further expand the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) to support the deserving families. He was addressing a ceremony in connection with the launching of Social Protection Accounts under the Benazir Income Support Program here in Islamabad on Friday.

The Prime Minister applauded the sincere efforts of Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri to bring improvement, transparency and expansion into this program within the span of one year only. Terming the BISP program as a valuable welfare project, the Prime Minister said Benazir Bhutto Shaheed envisioned this program and then it was initiated back in 2008.

Shehbaz Sharif thanked the friendly countries which extended financial assistance to Pakistan during the recent difficult times. He said the country will stand on its feet by generating its own resources. Earlier, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri said coalition government made significant increase of seventy-two percent in the BISP budget and allocated 404.2 billion rupees this year against 235 billion rupees in 2022.

She said each deserving family is being provided with quarterly assistance of 8750 rupees under BISP. Highlighting the Benazir Scholarship for under graduate Program, the Minister said over ninety-two thousand scholarships are being given to deserving and talented students this year. Alluding to the Benazir Nashonuma Program, she said this program aims to address the issue of stunted growth and malnutrition among children and infants.

She said 488 facilitation centers have been established across the country in this regard and over seven hundred thousand mothers and children are getting benefits from this program. The Minister said it is the first time that transgender have been included in the BISP.

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