Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Senator Rubina Khalid Monday warned that spreading false allegations against the programme for political point-scoring is a criminal offence under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA)
ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 3rd Aug, 2026) Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Senator Rubina Khalid Monday warned that spreading false allegations against the programme for political point-scoring is a criminal offence under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
The chairperson also announced that beneficiaries would soon be able to receive payments through a new digital wallet system, and directed officials to ensure the immediate resolution of public complaints received during a live E-Katcheri at BISP Headquarters.
During the E-Katcheri, 37 callers from across the country shared their complaints and concerns over the telephone.
The chairperson instructed the relevant officers to accord top priority to all complaints, resolve them without delay and submit an immediate compliance report.
Addressing participants, Senator Rubina Khalid said President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed full confidence in the performance, transparency and public service of BISP.
She said the programme is serving poor and deserving families across Pakistan without any discrimination and helping low-income households meet their essential expenses.
She expressed concern over what she described as attempts by certain elements to damage the reputation of BISP for personal and political interests, emphasizing that the programme operates above political, religious, linguistic and regional affiliations and is solely dedicated to serving deserving citizens.
The chairperson said derogatory remarks against the national institution and its more than 10 million beneficiary households are unacceptable and highly condemnable.
She warned that spreading baseless allegations, false information or attempting to undermine the credibility of BISP for political gains constituted a criminal offence, adding that the programme had the authority to initiate legal proceedings under PECA.
Referring to a World Bank study, Senator Rubina Khalid said BISP had not only improved the socio-economic conditions of deserving beneficiaries but had also generated positive economic impacts for local shopkeepers, industries and the broader economy.
Highlighting the programme’s upcoming digital payment system, she said women beneficiaries would be able to withdraw their payments from any authorised agent of partner banks in any city across Pakistan at a time of their convenience.
She advised beneficiaries who had not yet obtained their free Benazir SIM, or who were using a SIM acquired from any other source, to visit their nearest BISP office with their original Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) and personal mobile phone to receive the free SIM.
She said the SIM should be inserted into the beneficiary’s mobile phone by BISP staff at the time of issuance.
The chairperson said beneficiaries would receive an SMS notification from the relevant partner bank once their payment was transferred to the Digital Wallet, followed by another confirmation SMS after the withdrawal containing complete details of the amount transferred and withdrawn. She said the SMS would serve as proof of payment and enable beneficiaries to verify that they had received the full amount.
Senator Rubina Khalid advised beneficiaries to immediately report any deduction or underpayment by agents to the nearest BISP office or BISP staff.
She urged them never to hand over their mobile phones to any agent, stressing that only the original CNIC and biometric verification were required for cash withdrawal.
She also advised beneficiaries to keep their mobile phones and registered numbers with them at all times to safeguard important payment and complaint-related information.
Reiterating that all BISP benefits, services and facilities were provided completely free of cost, the chairperson urged beneficiaries to contact their nearest BISP office or the BISP Helpline (0800-26477) for authentic information, guidance or to register complaints.
