ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that the government was not changing name of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), the country’s largest social safety net programme of its kind.
He told this to newsmen at a press conference in Islamabad. The minister said his government was taking measures for eradication of poverty.
“Several new initiatives are being launched under Ehsaas programme, while a programme named Kifalat is being launched for the poor,” Chaudhry said.
He added the government was also going to initiate ‘Sasta Ghar Scheme’.
During a meeting with members of the Grand Democratic Alliance in Ghotki last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan was quoted as suggesting that the name of BISP would be amended.
The Pakistan Peoples Party had recorded strong protest over reports that the federal government was considering removing the name of former prime minister, the late Benazir Bhutto, from the BISP’s name.
PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had said the government’s move was a “conspiracy” to end the social safety net programme.
He had said it was a “long-term conspiracy” under which the name of the programme would first be changed, followed by decreasing allocation for it, and eventually the programme would be ended.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had also opposed changing name of the social safety net programmme.
Qureshi had said it will not be a “politically correct” decision and will be equivalent to making a non-issue an issue.
