BISP, PBM: Senate panel recommends lifting the recruitment ban

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety on Wednesday strongly recommended lifting the federal government’s recruitment ban on the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM), citing staff shortages and vacant posts hampering the institutions’ operations.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sardar Al-Haj Muhammad Umer Gorgaij, who also raised concerns over vacant posts, deputation policies, and the concerning blocked Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) cards. The Committee urged the importance of discouraging appointments on deputation to BISP from the Education and Health sectors.

The Minister for PA&SS apprised that the Ministry of Finance & Revenue had already been approached on the matter and proposed that the Committee should recommend the assurance of smooth transition of the pending recruitments and assured that the same shall be presented before the Prime Minister.

The Committee also discussed the shortage of mobile vans and necessary measures to address these issues in Balochistan. However, the federal minister informed that, from the total 25 available mobile vans, 18 have been allocated to facilitate the assessment in Balochistan.

The matter of 400,000 blocked cards of BISP beneficiaries was also discussed, with the matter to be taken up with NADRA as a way forward. Accordingly, it was briefed that currently, 17 individuals were working on deputation at Bait-ul-Mal across the country, while 45 employees had been promoted recently.

The committee was also briefed on the recovery of Rs 1.9 million as House Rent Allowance from an officer of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal. It was also apprised that a minute portion of HRA was recovered, leaving an outstanding amount of Rs 1.55 million.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026