Beneficiaries praise govt for raising BISP budget by 17pc to Rs. 838bn

Dera Ismail Khan, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jun, 2026) Citizens, beneficiaries and social activists in Dera Ismail Khan have welcomed the Federal government's decision to allocate Rs838 billion for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in the budget for fiscal year 2026-27, terming it a significant step towards strengthening social protection and supporting vulnerable segments of society.

Presenting the federal budget in the National Assembly, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced a 17 percent increase in funding for BISP, raising its allocation to Rs838 billion from Rs716 billion during the outgoing fiscal year.

The minister said the programme would cover around 12 million deserving families across the country, while educational scholarships would be extended to 9.2 million children under the BISP's education initiative.

Beneficiaries of the programme expressed satisfaction over the enhanced allocation, saying the increase would help deserving families cope with rising living costs and provide better educational opportunities for their children.

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A BISP beneficiary, Nasreen Bibi, said the programme had become a source of support for thousands of poor households and hoped the enhanced funding would further improve assistance and outreach.

Another beneficiary, Sumera Iqbal, appreciated the government's continued commitment to social welfare and said the increase in allocation would help many families meet their essential needs with dignity.

Social activist Arfeen Khan termed the enhanced allocation a positive development, stating that investment in social protection programmes was essential for reducing poverty and promoting inclusive growth.

He said BISP had emerged as one of the country's most important social welfare initiatives and stressed the need for ensuring transparency, effective monitoring and wider access so that the benefits could reach all deserving families.

Citizens from different walks of life also praised the government's decision, expressing hope that the increased allocation would contribute to poverty alleviation, human development and socio-economic stability in the country.