Free SIM cards under BISP to help digital disbursement of aid from March 2026 as government pushes cashless economy
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: File
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that financial assistance under the Ramadan package be distributed exclusively through digital wallets, saying the move will help ensure the dignity and self-respect of recipients.
Chairing a review meeting on third-party validation of the federal government’s proposed Ramadan package, Shehbaz said distribution of aid through digital wallets would also support the transition to a cashless economy. He added that the involvement of the State Bank of Pakistan would facilitate this process.
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Shehbaz said a Social Protection Wallet system was being introduced under the Benazir Income Support Programme, under which SIM cards would be given to eligible beneficiaries. He added that from March 2026 onwards, aid payments will be distributed digitally through these SIM cards.
The prime minister said the federal government had put in place a system to provide essential food items to low-income households at subsidized prices through the Ramadan package. He said the previous Utility Stores model had been affected by mismanagement and irregularities, which had prevented some beneficiaries from receiving their entitlements.
He instructed relevant institutions to prepare an improved package for the coming Ramadan, saying that financial assistance and social protection for low and lower-middle income households were the government’s priorities.
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The Prime Minister directed ministries and agencies to ensure that eligible low-income households were included in the assistance program to the greatest extent possible. He also called for the creation of a digital dashboard and a monitoring system to monitor implementation.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Poverty Alleviation Minister Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain and IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja attended the meeting.
The meeting was also attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar, as well as the chairmen of NADRA and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and other senior officials.
