The president of the Pakistani peoples Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s party defended Benazir’s income support program as the most effective social security net in Pakistan and urged the federal government to use it for “immediate relief” to farmers affected by floods.
“We had asked that the victims of the floods be supported through the Benazir income support program (BISP), as was done in previous floods and even during COVID,” said Bilawal at a press conference at the Maison de Chief. “If this is not done today, then my question is: What is the fault of the people of southern Punjab?”
He recalled that Bisp had been introduced by the Pakistani peoples’ party (PPP) during a PML-N government. “All the leaders of the PML-N had continuously congratulated this program. If they have now taken a “turnover”, they should be asked why, “he said, adding that most beneficiaries were in Punjab and that the initiative covered employment, education and other vital aspects. He noted that the program had been internationally recognized, with several countries according to its model. “Those who criticize it may not know it well. Bisp covers employment, education and all aspects of social protection,” he added.
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Earlier, Punjab Minister of Punjab, Azma Bukhari, accused the PPP of pushing Sindh and Karachi at “dark ages” despite the governess of the province for years. Without appointing Bilawal, she said that unlike the Minister and the Punjab chief office, who stayed with victims of the floods throughout, the leaders of the Sindh PPP only announced the visits after the rain has ceased.
Bilawal said Sindh had already announced a “Benazir Hari card” to support small farmers with dap and urea purchases. “It is better to spend money on our own farmers rather than sending it abroad by importing wheat. Instead of imports, Pakistan should move to wheat exports,” he said.
He underlined the Benazir Hari Card initiative of the Sindh government, launched on its directives, which aims to record 1.5 million farmers across the province. So far, 336,000 farmers have been registered, including 42,000 in Sukkur and Ghotki, with 18 billion rupees already disbursed. The versatile ATM card allows direct transfers of grants for seeds, fertilizers and other inputs, with small priority farmers in the first phase.
Bilawal thanked the federal government for giving up electricity bills for flooding victims, but exhorted additional aid. “If the federal government supports us, we can increase this aid,” he said, calling for an agricultural emergency, IMF’s commitment to wheat supply and tax alternatives for farmers. He stressed that Punjab, in particular southern Punjab, had undergone the greatest losses of harvest.
Find out more: 42,000 farmers registered in Hari Card in Sukkur, Ghotki
During rehabilitation, he said that the floods have two phases – rescue and help, followed by rehabilitation. He quoted the Sindh housing program for the victims of the floods as a model for other provinces and criticized the federal government for not having launched an international appeal of aid. “In all past disasters, federal governments have made such calls. Why not now? ” He asked.
Foreign policy and internal policy
On international affairs, Bilawal praised the Pakistani-Saudi Defense Agreement as “a good agreement” which had won a wide appreciation. He said the Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Hina Rabbani Khar, had planned a meeting with the possibility of a camera briefing. “We will fulfill our parliamentary responsibilities,” he said.
In Palestine, he praised the strong debate at the United Nations General Assembly. “This proves that the struggle of the Palestinian people is bearing fruit. The effects of Israeli attacks are seen in the form of Pakistani-Saudi chords. I hope that the Arab countries and those that support Israel will also examine their policies. ”
Bilawal confirmed that he would meet the leaders of MQM and urged the PML-N to share his project on constitutional amendments. “If they want to make constitutional changes, they should speak to PPP. We will make decisions thanks to the consultation,” he said.
Asked about the recent situation in Balutchistan, Bilawal noted: “There was an observable increase in terrorism in Balutchistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. This will inevitably create a national security dynamic that will affect society. It is not a military solution in Balochistan, it is political. ”
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He also recognized Karachi’s urgent problems, in particular water shortages. He said that the provincial government’s priority was to resolve the water crisis through projects such as the Hub channel, followed by roads and other works, while highlighting the need for coordination so that the newly built infrastructure is not damaged by public services.
On federal and provincial relations, Bilawal said that the Sindh had received support from the current government and thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Vice-Prime Minister Ishaq Dar for having held their promises. Despite the challenges of the Sindh Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), he said that the federal government had contributed fairly, although “size could still be discussed”.
He added that the largest housing program in the country and the largest agrarian reform since the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were both possible due to federal support.
