ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Shazia Marri chaired a review meeting at the Benazir Income Support Program Office and discussed the expansion of the program. Secretary Ismat Tahira gave a briefing on the programs and structure of the organization, says a handout. Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Security, Shazia Marri, sought suggestions for improving the payment system of Benazir Income Support Program and issued instructions to further improve it before the release of next installment. She made a review of eligibility and exclusion criteria for deserving persons in the program. Shazia Marri said that it was unfair to remove deserving people from the program on the basis of unnecessary filters. She said that it was not right to exclude deserving persons from the program on the basis of foreign visits for attending religious rituals alone. She said that the exclusion of people from Benazir Income Support Program on the basis of mobile spending is unfair. Shazia Marri said that if people have to be expelled from the program, then first empower them. In the end, she said that the name of Bibi Shaheed would be used with all the programs as major programs are being run under the supervision of BISP.
