ISLAMABAD: The success of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has been recognised globally, President Mamnoon Hussain said on Thursday.
He was addressing a ceremony held to launch the book: Stories of BISP’ at BISP Secretariat. BISP Chairperson MNA Marvi Memon, Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Pir Muhammad Aminul Hasnat Shah, BISP Secretary Yasmin Masood, parliamentarians, dignitaries, media, BISP beneficiaries and BISP officials were also present.
The president said that the book detailed the lives of its beneficiaries. “These stories are of women from 146 districts of Pakistan. They highlight the women empowerment revolution that is taking place throughout Pakistan thanks to BISP. It provides dignity and livelihood to women all across Pakistan,” he said.
The book brings the real stories of BISP beneficiaries in eighteen different languages to the world. It is Pakistan’s first multilingual book published in Urdu, Balochi, Pashtu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Balti, Shina, Broshuski, Seraiki, Hindko, Gojri, Brahvi, Khetrani, Khawar, Potohari, Chitrali and English. The book reflects the incredible impact of BISP stipends on the improvement of lives of the ultra poor women/families. Besides translation in English and Urdu, the book has an audio version as well.
BISP Patron-in-Chief President Mamnoon Hussain commended the BISP management for the marvelous achievement. He said that the book reflected the feelings and experiences of women beneficiaries towards the path of self-confidence, self reliance and empowerment with the cooperation of Benazir Income Support Programme. “As these stories are a source of encouragement and inspiration for women, so there is strong need to employ other channels of communication like theatre to further enhance the impact and effectiveness of the biographic stories,” he said.
In her opening remarks, BISP Chairperson MNA Marvi Memon said that BISP had collected stories of BISP beneficiaries, one from each district through local writers so that the depth of the region was captured. “The stories are in the local languages for better understanding of BISP’s impact on the lives of the poor.
The book will contribute immensely towards the promotion of regional languages and inter-provincial harmony. For the first time in the history of Pakistan; BISP has brought 18 different languages together in a book. The book has an audio version as well, so that messages of our poor families reach a wider audience,” she said.
The success stories of Akber Bibi from Haveli (AJK), Bano from Astore (Gilgit Baltistan), Sharmati Nandani from Jacobabad (Sindh), Jan Bibi from Kohlu (Balochistan), Sumaira Bibi from Rawalpindi (Punjab) and Mughafira from Nowshera (KPK) were showcased at the launch ceremony.
The beneficiaries present on the occasion expressed gratitude to BISP management for their support and thanked the incumbent government for increasing the amount of BISP stipend.
