ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Women aged above 35 who remain unmarried will now be included in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), officials informed a parliamentary committee meeting on Tuesday.
The development emerged during a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) sub-committee, where members discussed eligibility issues linked to the country’s flagship social welfare programme.
During the meeting, committee member Bilal Mandokhail pointed out that unmarried women were not currently being accommodated under the programme despite being among the most vulnerable segments of society.
He argued that unmarried women without family support were often among those most in need of financial assistance and should not remain excluded from welfare schemes.
Responding to the concerns, BISP officials told the committee that efforts were under way to include unmarried women aged above 35 within the programme’s eligibility framework.
The move is expected to expand social protection coverage for women who lack independent sources of income or family support systems.
The Benazir Income Support Programme is Pakistan’s largest social safety initiative and provides financial assistance to low-income households across the country.
Further details regarding implementation procedures, registration methods and eligibility criteria have yet to be officially announced.