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ISLAMABAD, Nov 18 (APP): In a major milestone for Pakistan’s digital governance and social protection reforms, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has distributed 5,747 free SIMs to beneficiaries across more than 30 districts nationwide within the first 24 hours of launching its pilot Social Protection Wallet initiative.
The initiative aims to ensure transparent, dignified, and direct financial access for women under BISP.
Under the phased rollout, Phase-I began on November 17 across 41 districts through BISP’s Dynamic Registry Centers, where beneficiaries are being issued free SIMs to activate their Social Protection Wallets.
All future BISP payments and communications will be routed through these SIMs.
The beneficiaries are advised to keep these SIMs safe and secure, just as they protect their personal belongings.
Phase-II will begin on November 24 in 53 districts, using a campsite model with at least one designated site per tehsil. Phase-III will start on December 01 in 52 high-load districts, where a minimum of two campsites will be established in each tehsil to serve beneficiaries efficiently.
SIM issuance is being carried out six days a week in a controlled environment. Women are required to bring their original CNIC and mobile phone and can only receive SIMs after biometric verification.
All eligible women are advised to collect their free SIMs from BISP offices or designated campsites by December 31.
Once the SIM is issued, BISP activates the Social Protection Wallet on it for future digital payments, eliminating the need for physical cash disbursement and reducing the risk of fraud and middleman exploitation.