Bilawal Bhutto Urges Federal Government to Use BISP for Flood Relief, Warns of Food Security Risks

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has described the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) as the nation’s most reliable and internationally recognized mechanism for delivering transparent financial assistance during crises. He urged the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government to reconsider its decision not to channel flood relief through BISP.

Addressing a press conference at the Chief Minister’s House, Bilawal expressed concern over what he termed the federal government’s failure to seek urgent international aid despite massive devastation caused by the floods. He said floods had wreaked havoc in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh’s katcha areas, with Punjab — particularly Multan, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, and Jalalpur — facing unprecedented losses. “Even today, large areas remain submerged, but the government has failed to reach those in need,” he remarked.

Bilawal questioned why extending relief had been turned into an issue of ego, stressing that BISP had previously been used during floods and COVID-19 to deliver immediate support. He pointed out that the largest number of BISP beneficiaries are in Punjab, and opposing the programme would effectively harm the people of that province.

Welcoming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement of agricultural and climate emergencies, as well as the waiver of electricity bills in flood-hit areas, Bilawal nevertheless emphasized that the federal government should have