Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) will now include unmarried women aged above 35, officials confirmed during a Public Accounts Committee sub‑committee meeting.

Committee member Bilal Mandokhail highlighted unmarried women were previously excluded despite vulnerability, stressing financial assistance should extend to those lacking family support.

BISP officials responded efforts are under way to revise eligibility framework, ensuring unmarried women aged above 35 gain access to programme benefits nationwide.

The move expands social protection coverage for women without independent income sources, strengthening Pakistan’s largest welfare initiative supporting low‑income households across the country.

Implementation procedures, registration methods and detailed eligibility criteria for unmarried women inclusion have not yet been officially announced by programme authorities.

Earlier today, Hazifa Rahman, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, stated that Sindh and Punjab are free to operate BISP, but must independently manage all costs associated with the programme.

He explained that following the NFC Award, the federal government retains very limited financial resources, forcing it to seek alternative arrangements to fund its own development spending.

Rahman made clear that the federal government has no intention of shutting down BISP, describing the programme as an essential part of the social protection framework.