KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which has been widely endorsed and supported internationally, will be expanded further and its 2nd phase will be completed during next five years, if PPP returns to power.
Under the second phase of BISP, more local and international institutions including banks will be taken on board as the partners and scope of this programme will be widened with introducing more income support schemes for the social and economic uplift of the commonman, he said.
The president was addressing a gathering of thousands of beneficiaries of Waseela-e-Haq and Waseela-e-Rozgar initiatives of BISP, here at the Bilawal House.
Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Miss Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Miss Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Chairperson of BISP Mrs. Farzana Raja, Members of Board of Directors of BISP, Speaker of Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Federal and Sindh Ministers, MNAs, MPAs , other leaders and office bearers of PPP, senior officers of Central and Provincial governments, Vice Chancellorsof Universities and members of the academia and educationists were also present.
President Asif Ali Zardari directed Chairperson BISP, Mrs.Farzana Raja to enhance the skills of the trainees/graduates of BISP's Waseela-e-Rozgar initiative for making them sell in international market. " Today, I am giving a new task to Madam Farzana. Please, make these trainees exportable. It is not sufficient to give them only training but we would have to arrange jobs for them," he asserted.
He said Waseela-e-Haq, Waseela-e-Rozgar, Waseela-e-Taaleem initiatives are the part of BISP's long-term strategy to help out the poorest of the poor in the country.
There is a vast scope of this programme, he said. He said BISP has unique status. For the first time in the history of Pakistan, such a programme was indigenously designed and launched which was endorsed and approved by international donor institutions.
In the past, international donors used to make these programmes and we had to approve.
BISP was designed after thorough study of various models of socio-economic programmes successfully executed by different countries and made it in agreement with our social and economic conditions, he added.
The President said that Waseela-e-Haq initiative was the conversion of BC (committees) concept.
He said BISP was successfully advancing by dint of prayers/well wishes of martyrs of PPP and would,Insha Allah, continue with their prayers/well wishes.
He said that a lot was to be done to achieve the goals of BISP as the country was facing a great challenge of fast growing population.
President Asif Ali Zardari sought cooperation and support from the public to make Benazir Income Support Programme a big success for the nation.
On this occasion, he congratulated Chairperson BISP Mrs Farzana Raja and the graduates/trainees completing their training under Waseela-e-Rozgar initiative. Today is our success day. Around 10,000 youth/graduates had completed their technical and vocational training throughout the country. 5,000 graduates are trained only from Sindh province.
These trainees are from BISP beneficiary families or their nominees.
Another lot of 28,000 graduates would start their training this month which would be completed in April 2013. Earlier, the President accompanied with his three children, pressed a button of the computer for balloting.
Every month, computerized balloting is done by the President himself.
About 2,000 beneficiaries are selected every month for receiving loans under Waseela-e-Haq initiative of BISP.
The President and his children distributed certificates to the graduates completing their technical and vocational training and cheques to the beneficiaries of BISP.
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