Rs24 billion BISP irregularities uncovered as recovery remains around Rs710 million

Financial irregularities amounting to Rs24 billion have been reported in the Benazir Income Support Programme

Financial irregularities amounting to Rs24 billion have been reported in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), with 140,488 government employees allegedly receiving funds intended for deserving families. However, only around Rs710 million has been recovered so far, according to documents presented in the National Assembly.

The documents, submitted by the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, revealed a significant gap between the amount allegedly misappropriated and the funds recovered from those involved. The findings have raised concerns about oversight, financial controls and accountability within the social protection programme.

According to the records, government employees and pensioners received Rs23.13 billion from BISP during the fiscal year 2019-20. Although irregularities were reportedly identified in 2019, payments allegedly continued for six years. The documents further revealed that payments amounting to Rs900 million were made even after the employees concerned had been identified.

During the fiscal year 2020-21, more than 12,000 government employees allegedly received Rs146.7 million from the programme. The records also identified 2,447 employees in 2021-22 and 2,235 in 2022-23 as recipients of BISP funds.

The number of government employees identified in the records stood at 227 during 2023-24 and 12,078 during 2024-25. The disclosures indicate that the issue extended across multiple financial years rather than being limited to a single period.

The documents also stated that the alleged irregularities involved not only government employees but, in some cases, their spouses. As many as 236 BISP employees were also among those identified as having received funds allocated for eligible beneficiaries.

The recovery figures showed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) recovered Rs540 million from government employees allegedly involved in the irregularities. Other government departments recovered an additional Rs145 million, while BISP recovered Rs21.5 million from its own employees.

These recoveries brought the total amount recovered to approximately Rs706.5 million, or around Rs710 million. The figure remains substantially lower than the reported Rs24 billion in irregularities.

According to the documents, BISP has forwarded the records of government employees allegedly involved in the matter to the relevant authorities for further action. The programme has also decided to scrutinise the records of more than 600,000 government employees and pensioners as part of a broader effort to identify ineligible recipients.

The recovery and investigation processes are continuing, the documents stated. The expanded scrutiny is expected to help authorities examine potential cases of improper payments and determine the extent of the alleged misuse of public funds.

The revelations have raised questions about how government employees and pensioners were able to receive financial assistance intended for low-income households, as well as why payments reportedly continued after irregularities were identified.

The latest disclosures place renewed focus on the verification mechanisms used to determine eligibility for BISP assistance and the effectiveness of measures designed to prevent public funds from reaching ineligible recipients. The extent of the remaining unrecovered amount also highlights the challenge facing authorities as they pursue investigations and seek to recover the money.