Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid on Tuesday said women beneficiaries would be able to withdraw their funds from any authorized retailer of six partner banks in any city across Pakistan, on any day and at any time, following the introduction of interoperability in digital wallet payments.
She made these remarks while listening to the concerns of 28 callers during a live E-Kachehri held at BISP Headquarters, directing the relevant officials to resolve their complaints on a priority basis.
Senator Rubina Khalid said the interoperability feature would remove restrictions on beneficiaries withdrawing funds through a particular bank or within a specific city, providing them greater flexibility and convenience in accessing their payments. The six partner banks include HBL, Habib Microfinance, Bank Alfalah, Telenor Microfinance, Bank of Punjab and Mobilink/Jazz Bank.
She said the digital wallet payment system had been introduced on the directives of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to ensure secure and transparent payments to women beneficiaries.
The chairperson advised beneficiaries to obtain their free Benazir SIMs exclusively from BISP offices.
They must bring their original Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) and personal mobile phones to collect the SIMs. Activation would be carried out by a representative of the relevant mobile network operator at the BISP office or designated site.
She also advised women beneficiaries to retain confirmation messages received after fund transfers and withdrawals for their records and cautioned them against handing over their mobile phones to retailers or agents during cash withdrawals.
She emphasized that an original CNIC and biometric verification would be mandatory for withdrawing funds.
Senator Rubina Khalid further urged women beneficiaries whose CNICs had expired to renew them through the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) without delay. Clarifying the survey process, she said household eligibility was determined through the BISP survey and that a repeat survey could not be conducted until two years had elapsed since the previous survey.
She advised women not to visit BISP offices repeatedly to request a new survey before completion of the stipulated period.
