ISLAMABAD, Feb 23 (APP): Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Syed Imran Ahmad Shah Monday said that over 4.3 million mothers and children had benefited from the Benazir Nashonuma Programme so far and that the government was determined to eliminate malnutrition and stunting from Pakistan.
The minister stated during the launch of the Digital Dashboard for real-time monitoring of Benazir Nashonuma programme in a ceremony held at the BISP.
The ceremony was held in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP).
The minister said Pakistan was facing a grave challenge of malnutrition, with national surveys confirming that over forty percent of children under the age of five were stunted.
He warned that stunting was not merely a health issue but a direct blow to the nation’s future, as no country could progress on the shoulders of a generation robbed of its physical and mental potential. “The real foundation of poverty alleviation is human development, and our government’s commitment to this cause is unwavering,” he said.
Imran Shah said the Benazir Nashonuma Programme provided health and nutrition-linked financial assistance to ensure deserving mothers and children received both cash support and supplementary food.
He said the programme’s positive impact was being validated through independent research and that the newly launched dashboard would now bring full visibility to programme performance through real-time data, enabling swift and informed policy decisions.
He said the government viewed social protection not as charity but as a long-term investment in human capital, adding that BISP would continue to uphold transparency, quality and accountability across all its programmes. He extended gratitude to WFP, UNICEF and WHO for their invaluable technical assistance in making the programme a success.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson BISP, Senator Rubina Khalid reaffirmed the government’s strengthened commitment to the millions of mothers and children at the heart of the programme.
She said that since joining BISP, she had made field visits a personal priority, believing firmly that the real hardships of people in remote areas could never be grasped from Islamabad and had to be seen firsthand.
She stressed the need for full coordination across all government departments, saying the vision of the President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for national progress could only be achieved when all institutions worked as one.
She welcomed the dashboard as an essential tool to eliminate data delays, ensure real-time programme oversight, and keep empowered mothers at the center of policy while bringing greater transparency and accountability to the programme.
DG CCT/NSER BISP, Azam Ejaz, said the Benazir Nashonuma Programme was far more than a cash transfer initiative, as it actively worked to protect the health of mothers and children and tackle stunting at its root.
He noted that the dashboard covers key programme metrics including disbursements, graduated beneficiaries, and awareness sessions delivered nationwide. A detailed briefing on the dashboard was also presented by DG NSCR Dr. Asim Ejaz to the participants.
In a deeply moving moment, Nashonuma beneficiary Ghazala from G-7/2 Islamabad took to the stage to share her experience, saying the programme had transformed her child’s health in ways she had not imagined possible.
She said her child, receiving supplementary food under BNP, was visibly healthier and stronger than children without access to the programme which is a living proof of the difference Benazir Nashonuma was making in the lives of Pakistan’s most vulnerable families.
Secretary Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety, Navid Ahmad Sheikh, was also present at the event.
The ceremony was attended by senior government officials, international development partners and programme beneficiaries, reflecting the united resolve to rid Pakistan of child malnutrition through data, innovation and inclusive governance.