Benazir Income Support Programme: government to provide assistance to five million families this year

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is estimating to provide financial assistance to five million deserving families this year. This was stated by Federal Minister and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Farzana Raja during a meeting with Member German Federal Parliament, Marieluis Beck.
The Chairperson BISP said that the programme is playing a vital role in alleviating poverty from the country, and 2.2 million families have (so far) been provided financial assistance through the programme. Besides that, deserving families, terrorism and bomb blasts affectees and IDPs are being provided assistance, she added. She said that through BISP, for the first time in the history of the country, poverty census is being conducted.
About regional situation in the country, the minister said that an unstable Afghanistan has negative impact on the stability of Pakistan. She observed that a stable Afghanistan guarantees peace not only to Pakistan, but also entire South Asia. She termed poverty as basic reason for terrorism and said the government could only counter terrorism by alleviating poverty.
"The government is working on a three-point strategy for relief, settlement and development of IDPs. After the operation, the provision of political and economic rights to the people will be ensured." In the same way, the elected government is providing political and economic rights to Gilgit-Baltistan, she added.
Marieluis Beck, on the occasion, said Pakistan is geo-politically a very important country. Germany and Pakistan have signed more than 50 agreements of various natures. She said that Germany appreciates Pakistan's role in the war against terrorism and emphasised the need for development work in the areas affected by terrorist attacks. Beck appreciated the BISP initiative. German Ambassador Dr Michael Koch was also present in the meeting.