Federal Information Minister, Fawad Chaudhry, on Monday, made clear the government had no plans to rename the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
While talking to media sources, the minister noted, “BISP will continue alongside Ehsas programme.”
Thus, he has brought an end to the recently-stirred controversy over the alleged move to struck Benazir Bhutto’s name off the social protection programme.
The minister continued that the Ehsas programme included the provision of financial assistance to the poor stratum of society.
Ehsas was being extended to other parts of the country as well, he announced while adding that loans would be provided to the jobless youth and homes to the people with no shelter.
Chaudhry came to the defence of the recent hike in prices of petroleum products and noted that fuel prices had lately seen an increase in the international market.
The prices of petrol and diesel were said to be significantly low in the global market during the previous tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).
Referring to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases against the former president, Asif Ali Zardari, the minister maintained they were instituted during Nawaz Sharif’s stint in power. The fake bank accounts cases were instituted in 2015 and 2016, he added while predicting to see Zardari behind bars in the future.
Ehsas (compassion) is the name of an ambitious social protection and poverty alleviation programme, which was launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan last week.
This was followed by rumours of renaming BISP. The reported decision elicited a strong reaction from all quarters, especially from the leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), who called it a conspiracy to deprive poor segments of the society of crucial financial support.