KARACHI: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation & Social Saftey and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Program Shazia Atta Marri has announced the inclusion of the transgender community in the Benazir Income Support Program on Sunday at the Arts Council Karachi.
She gave away financial assistance of Rs. 7000 each deserving transgenders under Benazir Kafaalat during the ceremony. Shazia Marri while addressing the ceremony, announced that the government is widening the scope of Benazir Income Support Programme, they will be eligible for Rs. 7000 quarterly cash assistance.
She said that transgender were being formally included in BISP and the transgender belonged to a poor segment of the society. They were facing economic and societal challenges in the country, she said adding that they were ignored in the society and moreover, they were separated from their families. She said that the transgender avoid to come forward before the data managers due to society’s behaviour towards them.
The Federal Minister said that as per available data 50,000 transgender were registered with an organization. She said that their registration with NADRA was mandatory for availing BISP financial support.
Shazia Marri said that the transgender should register themselves with NADRA and later, visit a BISP centre for further process to get Rs7000 financial assistance quarterly. She said that initially three transgender had got registered themselves with BISP.
She said that in all 9 lac families were being financially supported by BISP. The spirit of the programme was to support the poor people of society, she added. Later, she handed over Rs7000 financial assistance among three registered transgender.
Meanwhile, talking to media, federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri said that federal government will try its best to not have an effect of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement on the poor people of the country and no one is in favour of taking loans.
She said that the priorities of the country would be on top in talks with IMF. She said that the Prime Minister Mohammed Shahbaz Sharif had constituted an austerity committee.
Shazia Marri said that they were bearing the brunt of previous government’s wrong decisions. Condemning allegations of the PTI Chief Imran Khan against former President Asif Ali Zardari, she said that Imran Khan always issued irresponsible statements. She said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would sue Imran Khan. The Federal Minister said that the prisons were broken in PTI-led government.
She said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his family were under threat. She alleged that Imran Khan was facilitator of terrorists.