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Islamabad, July 13, 2012 (PPI-OT): Ms. Farzana Raja, Federal Minister for Benazir Income Support Programme, today C Asif Ali Zardari at presidency.
Chairperson BISP briefed the President about various activities being undertaken under the umbrella of BISP.
The President appreciated the efforts of Ms. Farzana Raja and her entire team in serving the people of the country while maintaining world wide recognized transparency and objectivity.
The President advised Chairperson BISP to attract the support of private sector of the country as well international donors for further broadening the resource base of the Programme so that more and more people could be benefited from various components of BISP.
The President expressed the hope that with its worldwide appreciation for transparency, objectivity and efficiency, the support of private sector at national level as well as that of international donors should be forthcoming. He advised the Federal Minister to explore new avenues to help the poorest of the poor in the fields of health, education and jobs with the assistance of the local and international corporate sector.
The President also directed Chairperson BISP to especially focus on providing educational and vocational facilities of the Program to the people of FATA and Balochistan.
During the briefing, Chairperson Ms. Farzana Raja appraised the President that 0.4 million deserving families from Balochistan have been included in BISP. Besides, the poverty survey has been completed in the FATA and very soon its people would be the beneficiaries of various BISP services and programs.
She informed that so far 1.8 million Benazir Debit Card have been issued to the beneficiary families across Pakistan and, by December 2012, the number would rise to approximately 4 million families.
The President termed BISP as a trust and hope for the seven million poor households of the country and expressed the hope that the program would become the comprehensive social security net in the country.
The President also advised the Chairperson to maintain close coordination with the concerned departments especially in Sindh who were working on contingency plans to meet any emerging challenge in case of floods this year.
Ms. Farazana Raja thanked the President for meeting and assured of her best efforts, and of her entire team in providing relief to the poor of the country regardless of any consideration whatsoever.
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