ISLAMABAD – The federal government has started deliberations on a proposal to transfer the management of the Benazir Income Support Programme to provincial governments in line with powers devolved under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
The development emerged after Federal Minister for Sports Das Kohistani said the issue was under consideration as part of broader discussions on administrative and financial responsibilities between the federation and provinces.
Speaking to the media, the minister said the 18th Amendment had already devolved several powers and departments to the provinces, therefore welfare initiatives and financial assistance programmes should also be managed at the provincial level.
He said some provincial governments had also raised the matter and expressed the view that social protection programmes could be administered more effectively by provincial authorities according to local needs and requirements.
Das Kohistani, however, clarified that the government was not considering abolishing the Benazir Income Support Programme, which remains one of the country’s largest social welfare initiatives aimed at supporting low-income families, particularly women.
He said the federal government would not make any final decision without taking coalition partners and political parties into confidence. According to the minister, consultations would be held before any policy shift regarding the future administrative structure of the programme.
The Benazir Income Support Programme was launched to provide financial assistance to economically vulnerable households and has played a key role in supporting millions of beneficiaries across Pakistan.
The political experts believed that f the programme is eventually handed over to the provinces, it could significantly change the mechanism of welfare distribution in the country.
However, concerns may also emerge regarding uniformity, funding arrangements and administrative capacity at the provincial level.
