On Sunday, the Chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Shazia Marri announced an Rs7000 allowance to transgender persons to be disbursed every third month under the Benazir Kafalat programme.
Shazia Marri, who is also Poverty Alleviation Minister, made this announcement in the ceremony of transgender people’s inclusion in the BISP at the Arts Council of Pakistan in Karachi.
The minister claimed as many as 50 thousand persons among the country’s transgender population had been registered as beneficiaries of the Benazir Kafalat Programme, making them eligible for the cash assistance.
She said that transgender community avoided coming forward before the data managers due to society’s behaviour towards them.
She said that the transgender community was part of society and taking care of them was the government’s responsibility. “This is a step forward in helping the struggling transgender persons who not only face immense violence in their daily lives, but are also subjected to blatant discrimination,” she added.
“The decision to extend BISP cash handouts to the transgender community has been made at such a time when several incidents of discrimination and violence, especially in the K-P province, have been reported against the community.”
Shazia said that the transgender people should register with NADRA and later visit a BISP centre for further process to get financial assistance.
She said that BISP was financially supporting nine lakh families. The spirit of the programme was to support the poor people of society, she added.
The minister highlighted that they were facing economic and societal challenges in the country, adding that they were ignored in society and were separated from their families.