PPP chairman vows to push for a rise in BISP allocations during budget discussions with PM Shehbaz.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has demanded that Gilgit-Baltistan be granted powers similar to those provided under the 18th Constitutional Amendment, saying such measures would help address many of the region’s long-standing issues.
Speaking at a public gathering in Skardu on Tuesday, Bilawal also claimed that the ruling PML-N-led coalition government was considering ending the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). He assured supporters that the PPP would resist any attempt to dismantle the welfare initiative.
“It is disappointing that there are plans to shut down the Benazir Income Support Programme, but the PPP will defend and strengthen it,” he said. Bilawal added that his party would push for higher allocations for BISP during budget discussions with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
His remarks followed reports suggesting the federal government may restructure the programme. Earlier, Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kheal Das Kohistani had stated that authorities were examining the possibility of transferring BISP responsibilities to provincial governments.
Established in 2008, BISP is one of Pakistan’s largest social welfare programmes, providing financial assistance to millions of low-income households, especially women.
Kohistani had later clarified that there was no proposal to completely abolish the programme. However, Bilawal argued that shifting BISP to the provinces would effectively weaken or end the initiative.
“Worldwide, such welfare programmes are usually managed at the federal level,” he said during an earlier rally in Shigar.
Bilawal further stated that BISP had become an internationally recognised model for social protection. He said the PPP’s political philosophy focused on the welfare of ordinary citizens, unlike other parties.
Highlighting the party’s legacy, Bilawal said former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto empowered farmers and labourers through land and industrial reforms, while Benazir Bhutto introduced opportunities that improved public livelihoods.
Discussing Gilgit-Baltistan’s governance challenges, Bilawal stressed that extending 18th Amendment-style powers to the region would help resolve administrative and constitutional concerns. He also credited the PPP government for introducing subsidies and reforms that benefited local residents.
Commenting on regional tensions, Bilawal praised Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir for his diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East.
He said the entire nation was praying for the success of Pakistan’s peace initiatives and described the country’s role in seeking regional stability as a source of national pride.
Bilawal also remarked that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East was placing economic and social pressure on the Muslim world, contributing to hardships faced by ordinary people.
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