ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s flagship cash transfer initiative, the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), has been rocked by a massive financial scandal involving mismanagement of over Rs141 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24, according to a recent audit report.
The audit has uncovered widespread irregularities, including unauthorized payments, unlawful withdrawals, and misallocation of educational scholarships meant for deserving beneficiaries.
One of the most alarming findings was that over 3 million beneficiaries received payments without valid CNICs, with disbursements totaling Rs116.95 billion. Additionally, Rs4 billion was paid to tax filers, while Rs60 million was distributed to government employees’ families, both of whom were ineligible for the program.
The misuse extended to educational scholarships, where:
- Rs11.5 million was disbursed to unauthorized students.
- Rs13.8 million was paid to over 5 million students falsely marked present despite non-attendance.
- Rs154.2 million went to 57,000 students who failed to meet the 70% attendance requirement.
- Rs2.8 million was unlawfully allocated through fraudulent enrollments.
Other significant discrepancies included:
- Rs454.7 million withdrawn from district-specific cash grants.
- Rs115 million unlawfully deducted from beneficiaries’ accounts.
- Rs77.2 million in unauthorized payments under the household survey category.
- Rs63.7 million in deputation allowances for unqualified employees.
These shocking revelations raise serious concerns about oversight within the BISP and its ability to ensure financial aid reaches Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities. The findings are expected to trigger further scrutiny and calls for accountability.
