Two widows threaten self-immolation with kids

Claim authorities exercising favouritism in issuing Benzair Income Support Fund cards.

ABBOTABAD:

Two widows on Tuesday threatened self-immolation, if the government failed to support them financially.

Gulshan Bibi, widow of Shehzad Ahmed of Mera Ali Khan Sarai Saleh, Haripur, and Zeenat Bibi, widow of Abdul Hafeez of Mohalla Kunj Qadeem, Abbottabad, told the media that each of them have four children and their husbands died three years back. They said that there was no one to support them financially, which forced them to earn a living by working as maids in different areas. But the meagre income was insufficient to even pay their house rents and utility bills. They said that with four small children, they were unable to keep ‘their body and souls intact’. Owing to the financial crisis, we cannot feed our children properly and most of the time the entire is forced to starve, said Zeenat.

They held the government authorities responsible of exercising favouritism in issuing the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) cards.

Gulshan added that several months ago, the BISP authorities had filled their forms and promised to get support for them. We have been waiting to here from them ever since, she added. The women threatened to commit self-immolation along with their children at the Fawara Chowk, Abbottabad, if the government did not pay heed to their demands.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2011.