By Hamid Khan Wazir
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: In what appears to be a significant development, the federal government has eventually decided to release the long-pending payment of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries in the trouble-hit district South Waziristan.
The Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation and the Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Dr Sania Nishtar has said that the long-delayed payment to the 1,408 beneficiaries would be released next week.
Dr Sania Nishtar held out the assurance to the member of National Assembly from South Waziristan district Ali Wazir who met her at her office in Islamabad, and discussed the issues facing by the BISP beneficiaries and food card scheme threadbare.
Ali Wazir apprised her that a total of 1,408 BISP beneficiaries of his constituency have been denied payments for the last 30 months.
Around 1,408 BISP beneficiaries to get payment next week
The lawmaker said that the BISP Chairperson assured him the release of the pending payments of the beneficiaries till next week, besides conducting an inquiry against the corrupt individuals due to which the payments were not received by the 1,408 beneficiaries.
Ali Wazir said that the report would be submitted within 20 days.
The MNA said that each BISP beneficiary will be given approximately Rs 45,000 and will conduct inquiry against the corrupt individual due to which the payments were not received by the 1,408 beneficiaries.
Moreover, he said that food card scheme and BISP survey for South Waziristan will initiate soon.
In another important development, Ali Wazir said that Directorate Regional Services Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) promised that a regional campus of the university would be set up in Wana, headquarter of the district within two months after security clearance.
Ali Wazir said that initially local administration will provide building, which is already provided in written by local administration after purchase of land they will build their own building.
Ali Wazir said that his primary focus on the female education because most of the people are not ready to send their females to the other parts of the country to getting higher education.
Hence, he said that the establishment of the campus of the university would help resolve somehow the problem.
