Sana’s ‘beggar’ remark draws BISP rebuke

Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid on Monday stressed that any humiliation or disrespect towards the poor and hardworking citizens was unacceptable and called on those who had undermined the dignity of beneficiary families to apologise.

The statement came after Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah in a private TV programme said that BISP served no purpose other than turning people into beggars.

Addressing a news conference at BISP headquarters in Islamabad, Rubina said the programme was continuously improving, but it did not justify the use of insulting language for those benefitting from it.

“Whenever you use such words, use them with evidence. No one has the right to insult. I request all those people to apologise to these families for hurting their dignity,” she added.

The senator stated that misinformation was spread about the programme at the national level for political purposes, adding that it was the world’s largest poverty alleviation programme.

“I am not able to understand why such things are being said in our country. There are a lot of problems and issues in many institutions,” she said.

Rubina added that several countries and international organisations were studying and learning from the BISP model, and that both the president and prime minister had full confidence in the programme.