ISLAMABAD: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is contributing towards the better health of infants and their mothers belonging to poor households, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Minister Shazia Marri said on Monday.

She said the BISP is providing educational stipend to needy children, which has resulted in an increase in the enrolment of children in schools.

The minister shared these views at the first National Social Protection Conference being held in Murree, according to a press release.

“BISP continues to be a beacon of hope for millions of underprivileged families across the country,” she said.

Marri also expressed her gratitude to the BISP’s development partners for their financial and technical assistance.

She informed that BISP was providing financial support to nine million “poorest” families, which, she said, was around 24 percent of the total population in Pakistan.

She mentioned that despite these efforts, there still existed a huge gap between the people who needed financial support and the actual support being provided to them and large number of people suffering from poverty was still looking towards the government for financial assistance.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023