Transgender persons included in BISP scheme: Govt will try to shield people from effects of IMF deal: minister

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri on Sunday said that the federal government will try its best to not have an effect of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement on the poor people of the country as no one is in favour of taking loans.

She said that the priorities of the country would be on top in talks with the IMF.

Talking to media persons after a ceremony of transgenders’ inclusion in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) at the Arts Council of Pakistan- Karachi, she said that Prime Minister Mohammed Shahbaz Sharif had constituted an austerity committee.

Shazia Marri said that they were bearing the brunt of the previous government’s wrong decisions. Condemning allegations of the PTI Chief Imran Khan against former President Asif Ali Zardari, she said that Imran Khan always issued irresponsible statements.

She said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would sue Imran Khan. The Federal Minister said that the prisons were broken in PTI-led government. She said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his family were under threat. She alleged that Imran Khan was facilitator of terrorists.

Earlier, addressing the ceremony, Shazia Marri said that transgenders were being formally included in BISP. She said that the transgenders belonged to a poor segment of society. They were facing economic and societal challenges in the country, she said adding that they were ignored in society and moreover, they were separated from their families.

She said that transgenders avoid coming forward before the data managers due to society’s behaviour towards them. The Federal Minister said that as per available data 50,000 transgender were registered with an organization.

She said that their registration with NADRA was mandatory for availing BISP financial support. Shazia said that the transgenders should register themselves with NADRA and later, visit a BISP centre for further process to get Rs7000 financial assistance quarterly.

She said that initially three transgender had got registered themselves with BISP. She said that in all 9 lakh families were being financially supported by BISP. The spirit of the programme was to support the poor people of society, she added. Later, she handed over Rs7000 financial assistance among three registered transgender.