ISLAMABAD: Jazz has begun the nationwide rollout of free SIMs for two million Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries — with 1.7 million of these SIMs pre-linked to JazzCash mobile wallets, enabling women who have long remained outside the formal financial system to participate fully in the digital economy.
The move is a major step toward the Prime Minister’s vision of a cashless, transparent, and digitally empowered Pakistan.
This rollout follows the Prime Minister’s direction to mobile operators to issue free SIMs to BISP beneficiaries, ensuring that Pakistan’s most vulnerable women are not left behind as the country transitions from cash-dependent systems to digital payments.
Under the new model, eligible BISP recipients will receive free Jazz SIMs, a majority of which will be linked to a JazzCash wallet, where future disbursements will be deposited directly. This shift from physical cash to secure, traceable digital transfers will allow beneficiaries to withdraw money safely, pay digitally, and access essential financial tools — without middlemen, risk, or dependency.
With more than 10 million women registered under BISP, Jazz is activating the first wave of two million unconnected beneficiaries and remains ready to scale support as Pakistan accelerates its move toward a cashless social safety net.
Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz and Chairman of Mobilink Bank, said: “The Prime Minister’s leadership on building a cashless social safety net is transformational. Free SIMs for BISP beneficiaries and the shift to digital payments don’t just modernize the system — they give women dignity, privacy, and direct control over their financial lives. Jazz is proud to support this national priority and play our part in building a more transparent and financially resilient Pakistan.”
SIM distribution is already underway in Sindh and is expanding progressively across allocated areas in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. For many women, this will be their first-ever digital identity, first mobile wallet, and first experience managing money independently.
Through secure mobile wallets, beneficiaries can confidently manage funds, save, pay bills, and participate more fully in the digital economy — strengthening household stability and reducing leakage and fraud from cash-based systems.
This initiative builds on Jazz’s longstanding commitment to women’s digital and financial inclusion. Aligned with the PM’s national digitalization priorities, Jazz continues to support the government in strengthening the national social safety net, securing financial flows, and expanding access to the tools that enable Pakistan’s most marginalized women to thrive in a cashless future.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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