BISP Launches Direct Bank Payments for Women on August 13

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The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will launch its Sahulat Accounts initiative on August 13, 2025, enabling direct bank payments for women beneficiaries, as announced by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). This move aims to enhance transparency and accessibility for millions of low-income women.

The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan’s largest social safety net, is set to roll out a direct bank payment system under its Sahulat Accounts pilot initiative, starting August 13, 2025, according to the APP. This system will allow approximately 10 million women beneficiaries across major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, and Peshawar, to receive their quarterly stipends of Rs. 13,500 directly into personal bank accounts. Senator Rubina Khalid, Chairperson of BISP, told journalists at the programme’s Islamabad headquarters that the initiative ensures secure and dignified access to funds, eliminating long queues and agent deductions, as reported by ProPakistani. The system is supported by six partner banks: Bank Alfalah, Bank of Punjab, Mobilink Microfinance Bank, Telenor Microfinance Bank, Habib Bank Limited, and HBL Microfinance Bank.

The Sahulat Accounts initiative builds on BISP’s earlier efforts to modernize payments, such as the retail payment model launched on June 16, 2025, which allowed collections through authorized shops with biometric verification, per JBMS. Secretary BISP Amer Ali Ahmad emphasized to the APP that the new system promotes financial independence by enabling women to manage funds via ATMs or digital wallets like JazzCash and EasyPaisa, with plans to expand digital options further. The programme’s collaboration with the World Bank and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under the Crisis-Resilient Social Protection (CRISP) initiative has driven these reforms, ensuring transparency and efficiency, as noted during a recent delegation visit.

This shift addresses past criticisms of BISP, including delays and unauthorized deductions, which affected beneficiaries’ access to funds. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported that BISP supports 0.3% of Pakistan’s GDP, underscoring its economic significance. By prioritizing direct transfers, BISP aims to empower women and strengthen trust in public institutions. Beneficiaries are urged to verify their Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) and register with partner banks to ensure seamless payments.