Ahmed Mukhtar Naqshbandi
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairman Shazia Marri has announced that transgender persons are now eligible to receive cash assistance under Benazir Kafalat Programme.
Addressing a ceremony of transgender people’s inclusion in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) at the Arts Council, Karachi, Shazia Marri said that transgender persons belonged to the poor segment of society.
“They were facing societal and economic challenges in the country,” Marri said. She added that trans persons were ignored in society and were separated from their families.
Cash assistance under BISP program
She said transgender people avoid coming 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 their registration with NADRA was mandatory for availing of BISP financial support. “Transgender people should register themselves with NADRA and later, visit a BISP centre for further process to get Rs7000 financial assistance quarterly,” she added.
Shazia Marri further said that initially, three transgender people had got registered themselves with BISP. “The spirit of the program was to support the poor people of society,” she added.
