The government of Pakistan has issued a new guideline for all the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) receiving financial assistance through the programme’s digital wallet and Benazir SIM system.
A BISP spokesperson advised beneficiaries to obtain their Benazir SIM only from designated BISP offices and warned against receiving SIMs from agents, unauthorised individuals or other locations.
Women who have not yet received their Benazir SIM can collect it free of charge from their nearest BISP office.
They must bring their original Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) and personal mobile phone for verification and activation.
BISP has instructed beneficiaries to ask its staff to install the SIM in their mobile phones themselves. Beneficiaries have also been advised not to hand over their phones to agents or other unauthorised persons.
The programme said an original CNIC and biometric verification are required to receive payments and that beneficiaries do not need to give their mobile phones to anyone for this process.
BISP urged registered women to ignore rumours and misinformation circulating about the Benazir SIM and digital wallet system.
Officials advised beneficiaries to contact their nearest BISP office for accurate information and assistance instead of relying on agents or unofficial sources.
Women have also been told to keep their mobile phones and registered numbers with them at all times.
This is intended to prevent unauthorised individuals from deleting important SMS messages, payment confirmations or complaint-related information.
BISP said beneficiaries will receive an SMS from the relevant bank when funds are transferred to their digital wallets.
A second confirmation message will be sent after the beneficiary withdraws the money. The message will contain details of the amount transferred and the amount received.
According to BISP, these SMS confirmations will provide beneficiaries with a record of their payments and allow them to check whether they have received the full amount.
The guidelines are aimed at helping beneficiaries use the new digital payment system safely while reducing the risk of fraud, unauthorised access and exploitation.
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