A federal minister has demanded that the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) be handed over to the provinces, arguing that provincial governments could run the country’s largest cash-transfer programme more effectively than the federal government. The demand comes days after the National Assembly was told that more than 2.25 million beneficiaries were removed from BISP’s rolls in a single fiscal year and payments to over 800,000 more were suspended.
Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kheal Das Kohistani made the demand while speaking to the media, calling for action against what he described as a corruption mafia inside the programme. He said agents and government employees extract money from beneficiaries at various stages, including at the time of withdrawal, and held BISP and the officials concerned responsible.
It is important to be clear about what has — and has not — happened here. The transfer of BISP to the provinces is a demand made by one minister, not a government decision. No official notification, cabinet decision, or transfer timeline has been announced. For beneficiaries, nothing changes today: payments, eligibility, and complaint channels remain exactly as they were.
Quick Summary
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who demanded the change | Kheal Das Kohistani, Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony |
| What he demanded | Transfer BISP from the federal government to provincial governments |
| Why | Alleged corruption, agents and officials taking cuts from beneficiaries, with many complaints originating from Sindh |
| Programme size | Valued at more than Rs800 billion, per the minister |
| Beneficiaries removed (FY 2025-26) | 2,259,404, between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026 |
| Payments suspended | More than 800,000 additional beneficiaries |
| Recovered from fake/ineligible payments | More than Rs712 million (Rs545 million via FIA, Rs21 million from BISP staff) |
| Status of the demand | A minister’s demand only — NOT a government decision |
What Exactly Did the Minister Say?
Speaking to the media after the National Assembly disclosures, Kohistani said mechanisms already exist to act against the misuse of public funds, and urged the relevant institutions to take action against those responsible and to recover funds paid to fake and ineligible beneficiaries. He argued that the programme — which he valued at more than Rs800 billion — should move from the federal government to the provinces, which he said could manage it more effectively and should bear its financial burden.
He also alleged that a large number of corruption complaints originate from Sindh, and that agents and government employees extract money from beneficiaries at various stages, including when they withdraw their payments. These are the minister’s allegations, reported in the media; they are not findings of a court or an inquiry, and BISP’s own official response to this specific demand has not yet been reported.
The Numbers Behind the Demand
The minister’s remarks followed disclosures made in the National Assembly on Friday, when the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division told the House that 2,259,404 beneficiaries were removed from BISP between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, and payments to more than 800,000 additional beneficiaries were suspended.
An audit report identified 140,488 government employees and their family members as BISP beneficiaries during 2019-20. The ministry said more than Rs712 million had been recovered from fake and ineligible beneficiaries — over Rs545 million through the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and more than Rs21 million from BISP employees. The News, reporting the same National Assembly reply on 23 October, put the total at Rs712.40 million, including Rs145.066 million recovered from other government departments, and said 229,157 government employees or their spouses had been identified in the programme’s records.
The ministry also reported receiving 55,579 complaints in the previous fiscal year concerning unauthorised deductions from beneficiaries’ funds, embezzlement, and misappropriation. That complaint figure is the clearest official measure of the problem the minister is pointing to: tens of thousands of people reported money being taken from them.
For context, we covered the National Assembly disclosure in detail earlier: BISP blocks 229,157 government employees, recovers Rs712 million. The minister’s provincial-control demand is a new political development on top of that same disclosure.
What Would Provincial Control Actually Mean?
BISP is currently a federal programme, run by the federal government with a nationwide beneficiary database built on the National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) survey. Moving it to the provinces would be a major structural change, and no such proposal has been formally tabled so far. Here is what such a shift could involve, and what remains unknown:
| Question | What we know |
|---|---|
| Has the government decided this? | No. It is one minister’s demand, not a cabinet or parliamentary decision. |
| Would beneficiaries need to re-register? | Unknown. No transfer plan exists, so no re-registration has been announced. |
| Would payment amounts change? | Unknown. No new amounts or schedules have been proposed. |
| Who would run the NSER database? | Unknown. The database is currently federal; a transfer would need a data-sharing arrangement. |
| Could provinces refuse or set their own rules? | Unknown. This would depend on whatever law or agreement a transfer required. |
Until an official announcement is made, treat every claim about provincial control as speculation. We will update this article the moment the federal government, BISP, or any provincial government issues a formal statement.
What Beneficiaries Should Do Right Now
Nothing about your BISP status changes because of this demand. But the disclosures behind it are a good reason to check that your own record is clean:
- Check your payment status through the official 8171 channel or your nearest BISP tehsil office. Do not trust agents who claim they can “restore” a blocked payment for a fee.
- Never pay anyone to receive your installment. BISP payments are free. Any person demanding a cut — agent, shopkeeper, or official — is breaking the law.
- Report deductions immediately. If money is taken from your payment, note the person’s name, the location, and the date, and report it to the BISP tehsil office or the FIA. The ministry’s own figure of 55,579 complaints shows reports do get recorded.
- Keep your CNIC and payment records safe and never share your CNIC copy or payment details with unverified agents.
- Ignore viral messages claiming BISP has moved to the provinces or that new registration has opened. There is no online BISP registration — enrolment is only through the in-person NSER survey at tehsil offices.
Scam Warning
News like this always attracts fraudsters. Expect fake messages claiming that “provincial BISP registration” has started, or that you must pay a fee to transfer your record to your province. These are scams. BISP has announced no provincial transfer, no new registration, and no fee of any kind. The only official helpline route is 8171 and BISP’s own offices. Do not click links in SMS or WhatsApp messages about BISP, and never share your CNIC number or bank details with strangers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has BISP been transferred to the provinces?
No. A federal minister has demanded the transfer, but the government has taken no decision and issued no notification. BISP remains a federal programme.
Will my BISP payments stop because of this demand?
No. Nothing has changed for beneficiaries. Payments continue under the existing federal system unless an official announcement says otherwise.
Why were 2.25 million beneficiaries removed?
According to the National Assembly disclosure, they were removed between July 2025 and June 2026. The ministry linked the clean-up to ineligible entries, including government employees and their families identified in an audit, but it has not published a beneficiary-by-beneficiary breakdown of the removals.
What happens to the 800,000 suspended payments?
The ministry has said payments to more than 800,000 additional beneficiaries were suspended. It has not yet explained publicly whether these suspensions are temporary pending verification or permanent removals, so affected beneficiaries should check their status through official channels.
How much money was recovered from fake beneficiaries?
More than Rs712 million, according to the ministry — over Rs545 million recovered through the FIA, more than Rs21 million from BISP employees, and (per The News) Rs145.066 million from other government departments.
What should I do if an agent takes money from my BISP payment?
Report it to your nearest BISP tehsil office or the FIA, with the date, place, and the person’s details if you have them. Do not pay agents any fee — BISP payments are free.
What Happens Next
Three things are worth watching. First, whether BISP or the federal government responds formally to the minister’s demand. Second, whether any province — Sindh in particular, given the minister’s remarks — comments on taking over the programme. Third, whether the suspended 800,000-plus payments are restored, verified, or permanently removed, since that affects real families directly. We will update this story as each of these develops.
Sources: TechJuice, “Minister Demands Provincial Control of BISP Amid Corruption Claims” (26 October 2026); The News, “Rs712.4m recovered from irregular BISP payments, NA told” (23 October 2026); National Assembly replies of the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, as reported by both outlets. Figures attributed to the minister or the ministry are reported claims, not independently verified by PakistanSchemes.pk.
Disclaimer: PakistanSchemes.pk is an unofficial information website and is not affiliated with BISP or the Government of Pakistan. Always verify amounts, eligibility, and payment status through official BISP channels (8171 and BISP tehsil offices) before acting.
