Audit reports of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) for the financial year 2024-25 have found illegal payments of more than Rs25 billion made against 600,000 bogus Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC).
The reports, which have now been made public, also identified a series of other irregularities in the programme’s payments and funds.
In cases handled under the Proxy Means Test (PMT), the audit reported irregularities amounting to Rs530 million. It further noted that Rs970 million due under the Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) of the programme had not been recovered.
The audit found that 7,020 women received Rs100 million through incorrect identification, in violation of the programme’s rules. Separately, Rs130 million was paid out as scholarships into benami accounts linked to five major universities, which the audit termed illegal payments.
Irregularities of Rs1.79 billion were also reported in the Poverty Graduation funds during the year.
The reports additionally raised questions over agreements worth billions of rupees that BISP officials signed with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
