ISLAMABAD: A government audit report for the fiscal year 2024-25, conducted during the 2025-26 audit cycle, has revealed financial irregularities exceeding Rs25 billion in the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), citing weak profiling mechanisms, system deficiencies, and regulatory shortcomings.
According to the audit report, serious flaws were identified in the profiling of spouse data within the BISP Management Information System (BISP-MIS).
The audit highlighted financial issues involving more than 601,850 cases, amounting to over Rs25 billion. Among the anomalies identified was a case in which 5,558 women were recorded as having the same husband, reflecting significant weaknesses in data management and verification procedures.
The official audit document, available to the media, stated that during fiscal year 2024-25, BISP disbursed Rs515.712 million under its Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) programme to 12,078 government employees, pensioners, or their spouses, despite a federal cabinet directive issued on December 24, 2019, which explicitly excluded government employees and their spouses from receiving such benefits.
The audit detailed the irregular payments as follows:
- Serving government employees: Rs25.20 million was paid to 673 beneficiaries in grades 1 to 16, while Rs0.09 million was paid to eight beneficiaries in grade 17.
- Spouses of serving government employees: Rs402.80 million was disbursed to 9,124 beneficiaries linked to employees in grades 1 to 16, while Rs2.54 million was paid to 87 beneficiaries associated with employees in grades 17 to 20.
- Pensioners: Rs7.41 million was paid to 218 beneficiaries in grades 1 to 16, while Rs0.70 million was disbursed to 22 beneficiaries in grades 17 and 18.
- Spouses of pensioners: Rs74.16 million was paid to 1,847 beneficiaries linked to pensioners in grades 1 to 16, while Rs2.81 million was disbursed to 107 beneficiaries associated with pensioners in grades 17 to 20.
The audit report attributed the irregular payments to weaknesses in beneficiary profiling and verification processes. Following the findings, the Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC) directed authorities to immediately block the identified beneficiaries and recover the amounts paid to them.
Also Read: Pakistan Railways Outsources Commercial Management of Five Trains for Rs10.75 Billion
