Transgenders now eligible for cash assistance under Benazir Kafalat Programme

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairman Shazia Marri has announced that the transgender persons were now eligible for receiving cash assistance under Benazir Kafalat Programme, ARY News reported on Monday.

Addressing a ceremony of transgenders’ inclusion in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) at the Arts Council, Karachi, Shazia Marri said that the transgender persons belonged to a poor segment of society.

“They were facing economic and societal challenges in the country”, she said adding that they were ignored in society and moreover and were separated from their families.

She said that transgenders avoid to come 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 that their registration with NADRA was mandatory for availing BISP financial support. “Transgenders 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 transgenders had got registered themselves with BISP. “The spirit of the programme was to support the poor people of society”, she added.

Meanwhile, Marri also said that the federal government will try its best to not have an effect of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreement on the poor people of the country as no one is in favour of taking loans.

She said that Prime Minister Mohammed Shahbaz Sharif had constituted an austerity committee. “We were bearing the brunt of the previous government’s wrong decisions,” she added.

Condemning allegations of the PTI Chief Imran Khan against former President Asif Ali Zardari, she said that Imran Khan always issued irresponsible statements.

She said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his family were under threat. She alleged that Imran Khan was facilitator of terrorists.