BISP fraud: Four grade-17 officials sacked

Four officers belonging to the Pakistani government were subject to dismissal as they added their names to the list of beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme.

A direct consequence of the fact that they have added their names as well as the names of their wives to the list meant that they had been taking money from the programme. The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is a Federally funded program which aims towards the eradication of ever increasing poverty within the county. Indeed the programme aims to lift people out of poverty:BISP fraud

The officers that have been already removed include assistant directors of the programme in Dera Ismail Khan, Muhammad Nauman and Shafiullah as well as assistant directions of the programme in Abbottabad, Sabeel Khan and finally – Fazzle Amin.

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Dr. Sania Nishtar, who happens to be the head of the BISP went on to tweet that a figure of Rs. 440,196 has been recovered from them as a part of the Ehsaas Integrity and Ant-corruption drive.

4 grade 17 BISP officers dismissed from service on charges of corruption & misconduct as they got their wives enrolled as BISP beneficiaries fraudulently, using their position in BISP. Rs 440,196 has been recovered as part of #Ehsaas Integrity & anti corruption drive pic.twitter.com/pdJwBLgaJo

— Sania Nishtar (@SaniaNishtar) January 18, 2020

It was also confirmed by Dr. Sania herself that PPP’s central information secretary, Nafisa Shah was not present on the list. 

On the 8^th of this month, it was actually confirmed by Dr. Nishtar that 2,543 officers, ranging from grade 14 to grade 17 proceeded on to include their names as well as the names of their spouses in the list.

I can confirm @ShahNafisa is not in the list of people who have benefited from @bisp_pakistan We should all rise above political differences to speak the truth; support reform and anti-corruption efforts in the interest of Pakistan and its most disadvantaged poor people

— Sania Nishtar (@SaniaNishtar) January 18, 2020

Indeed the most cases had actually been reported within Sindh as the province witnessed 1,122 officers adding their own name. In Balochistan, 741 officers have been found guilty of the same while 403 did it in Kyber Pakhtunkhwa and finally – 137 in the province that is Punjab.

As she addressed the media after her visit to the BISP office in Karachi Malir on Saturday, she stated that such policies and programmes are only for the benefit for the underprivileged and it is only they who should take benefit. She continued by saying that the government has identified the issues that ensue within and it is taking the steps required to make the programme corruption-free.