PM launches 10m BISP digital wallets to boost cashless economy in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday launched 10 million digital wallets for beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), describing the initiative as a “historic milestone” in the country’s drive towards financial transparency and a cashless economy.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, he formally launched the new system with a symbolic palm touch, describing it as a step towards empowering the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

“This digital wallet system is, in its true sense, blessed by the soul of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto,” he said, adding that it would provide recipients with safe and direct access to assistance.

The scheme will see 10 million digital wallets issued using beneficiaries’ national identity cards, underpinned by biometric verification to prevent fraud.

Additionally, 10 million free SIM cards will be distributed to ensure connectivity, with the initial rollout already under way in Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Rahim Yar Khan, in collaboration with Jazz/Mobilink.

The digital wallet initiative comes amid broader government efforts to digitise financial flows, improve transparency, and modernise welfare systems.

Sharif noted that 78 per cent of a recent Ramadan relief package had been disbursed through digital channels, despite what he described as resistance from “vested interests.”

“Cashless transactions are the pressing requirement of our times. They save time, end corruption, and bring efficiency,” he said. “This is not just about disbursing aid – we are raising an army of architects and workers to build the nation.”

He also urged BISP to link financial assistance to educational and health outcomes, suggesting that families receiving aid should be required to ensure their children attend school.

He called for reducing the implementation cycle from the current eight to ten months to just four, to accelerate impact.

BISP chairwoman Rubina Khalid described the launch as a “historic milestone” in the country’s social protection journey.

The programme, she noted, supports over 10 million low-income families and is increasingly focused on empowerment, not merely aid.

She stressed the importance of linking benefits to women’s CNICs, which she said enhances their visibility and inclusion in the national database. Digital literacy initiatives would also be introduced to help beneficiaries navigate the new system.

“This is not just financial assistance – it’s a pathway to economic empowerment,” Khalid said, describing the project as a continuation of late Benazir Bhutto’s vision for women’s empowerment and inclusive growth.

BISP Secretary Amir Ali Ahmed said a high-level committee had been formed under the prime minister’s direction to ensure transparency and user-friendliness of the digital platform.

He reiterated that biometric verification would be a key safeguard against identity theft and misuse.

The launch represents one of the largest expansions of digital social protection infrastructure in the country’s history and comes amid rising inflation and economic uncertainty for millions of Pakistanis.

The ceremony was attended by federal ministers, BISP officials, and international development partners including Germany’s GIZ and others.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025