217 Civil Officers Visit BISP Headquarters
ISLAMABAD, August 19, 2026: A delegation of 217 probationary officers from the 54th Common Training Programme (CTP) of the Civil Services Academy, Lahore, visited the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Headquarters to gain an in-depth understanding of Pakistan’s flagship social protection programme.
BISP Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid and Additional Secretary Dr. Asmat Nawaz welcomed the officers. During the visit, the delegation was briefed on BISP’s vision, institutional structure, major programmes, targeting mechanisms, payment reforms and future policy direction.
Addressing the probationary officers, Senator Rubina Khalid highlighted BISP’s role in poverty reduction, women’s empowerment and financial inclusion. She said the programme was established in line with the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, while its foundation was laid by President Asif Ali Zardari.
The BISP Chairperson said one of the programme’s key features was recognizing women as direct beneficiaries. She added that making a CNIC mandatory for registration had helped bring millions of women into the national database while strengthening their recognition as citizens.
Senator Rubina Khalid explained that BISP follows a life-cycle approach that extends beyond cash assistance, covering areas such as education, nutrition, financial inclusion and livelihood opportunities.
Addressing concerns that social protection could create dependency, she said BISP was designed to protect vulnerable families from falling into destitution while enabling them to live with dignity and self-respect.
She also highlighted BIS P’s digital transformation, particularly the introduction of Digital Wallets. According to the chairperson, the initiative aims to bring around 10 million women beneficiaries into a safer and more convenient digital payment ecosystem.
She further said BISP was moving towards interoperability, allowing beneficiaries to withdraw payments from any location through agents of participating partner banks. The reform is expected to improve accessibility and convenience for beneficiaries.
Senator Rubina Khalid also briefed the officers on BISP’s exit and recertification policy. She said families whose socio-economic conditions improve would gradually graduate from the programme, while sustainable poverty reduction would require greater access to skills and livelihood opportunities.
In this context, she highlighted the Benazir Hunarmand Programme, which focuses on equipping beneficiaries with skills that can help them achieve greater economic independence.
The chairperson also described the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) as a major national asset for social protection planning. She said BISP maintains one of the country’s largest databases after NADRA, with the data also being used by organizations at the provincial level to design and implement social protection initiatives.
Earlier, Director General NSER/CCT Dr. Asim Ijaz gave a detailed briefing on Benazir Kafaalat, Benazir Taleemi Wazaif, Benazir Nashonuma and NSER.
Speaking about the Benazir Nashonuma Programme, Dr. Asim Ijaz said research by Aga Khan University showed that the programme had contributed to a 6.4 percent reduction in child stunting, highlighting the impact of targeted nutrition interventions on maternal and child health.
The briefing was followed by an interactive question-and-answer session. The probationary officers discussed BISP’s institutional structure, operations, beneficiary targeting, payment reforms, digital transformation and future policy priorities.
The visit concluded with the presentation of a commemorative shield to Senator Rubina Khalid by Dr. Faisal Zahoor, Director (PAS), on behalf of the Civil Services Academy, followed by a vote of thanks.
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