Thousands of Government Employees Found Receiving BISP Funds

Official data released by the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has revealed that over 25,000 serving and retired government employees across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received financial assistance over multiple years under the programme. In Khyber district alone, 1,125 government employees belonging to 15 different government departments were identified as beneficiaries.

According to a media report, the cumulative amount disbursed in Khyber district amounted to approximately Rs176.81 million, as reflected in official records. The majority of recipients received sums ranging between Rs150,000 and Rs190,000, while certain cases involved substantially higher disbursements.

A senior BISP official stated that eligibility criteria were reassessed in coordination with relevant state institutions. The official disclosed that several government employees had furnished inaccurate household data during BISP surveys and unlawfully accessed funds through female family members, in clear contravention of programme regulations.

The official further clarified that BISP disbursements comprise public welfare funds and Zakat allocations, which are strictly reserved for financially vulnerable households. The receipt of such funds by government employees and pensioners constituted a violation of eligibility requirements. The lapse was attributed to deficiencies in verification and oversight mechanisms involving BISP personnel and other concerned departments.

The beneficiary list reportedly includes senior government officers, such as executive engineers, medical superintendents, and education administrators, predominantly holding BPS-18 and BPS-19 positions.

Authorities indicated that recovery proceedings are expected to commence next month and may entail voluntary repayments, salary deductions, or disciplinary action, subject to the circumstances of each case.