The Benazir Income Support Programme has introduced a new digital facility for registered women beneficiaries across Pakistan.
Under the initiative, eligible women can receive free SIM cards and activate a Social Protection Wallet.
Registered beneficiaries can visit their nearest BISP office or designated campsite to access the facility.
Beneficiaries will first complete biometric verification at the designated location. After successful verification, eligible women will receive a free SIM card.
The SIM will then be used to create the beneficiary’s Social Protection Wallet.
According to the programme, future financial assistance will gradually be transferred through these digital wallets.
This will include programme instalments, stipends and other forms of financial support provided to eligible beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries Asked to Keep SIMs Secure
BISP has advised women to keep their issued SIM cards safe and secure.
The programme stressed that the SIM is more than a regular mobile connection. It will be linked to the beneficiary’s digital wallet for receiving financial assistance.
Registered women have also been advised not to hand over their SIM cards to other people.
Beneficiaries should obtain their SIMs only through official programme offices or designated campsites.
The initiative aims to make financial assistance more accessible through a digital payment system.
It could also reduce beneficiaries’ dependence on traditional methods for receiving government support.
Digital Wallets Planned for Beneficiaries
Earlier, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani discussed plans to expand digital wallets for programme beneficiaries.
He said all beneficiaries are expected to receive digital wallets by the end of 2026.
Kayani made the remarks during a ceremony marking the launch of Z-Wallet.
He said the government was working with public and private sector partners to expand digital payments across Pakistan.
The minister also highlighted the role of Raast in strengthening the country’s digital payment infrastructure.
According to Kayani, more than two million traders are currently using digital payment facilities.
He added that the number of digital banking users in Pakistan has reached 137 million.
The government has also provided merchant discount rate subsidies to encourage QR code-based payments.
Kayani said progress has also been made in digitising government payments.
The Social Protection Wallet initiative is part of this broader shift towards digital financial services.
In other news read more about BISP Shifts Payments to Digital Wallets for Beneficiaries in Pakistan
Beneficiaries should follow official instructions when obtaining their SIMs and activating their wallets.
