Free SIM cards under BISP to help digital aid disbursement from March 2026 as government boosts cashless economy
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: Archive
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered that financial assistance under the Ramadan Package be distributed exclusively through digital wallets, saying the move would help ensure dignity and self-respect of beneficiaries.
Chairing a review meeting on third-party validation of the federal government’s proposed Ramadan package, Shehbaz said distribution of assistance through digital wallets would also support the transition to a cashless economy. He added that the involvement of the State Bank of Pakistan would facilitate this process.
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Shehbaz said a Social Protection Wallet system was being introduced under the Benazir Income Support Programme, under which SIM cards would be provided to eligible beneficiaries. He added that starting in March 2026, assistance payments would be distributed digitally through these SIMs.
The prime minister said the federal government had introduced a system to provide essential food items to low-income households at subsidized prices through the Ramadan Package. He said the previous utility store model had been plagued by mismanagement and irregularities, which had prevented some beneficiaries from receiving their entitlements.
He instructed relevant institutions to prepare an enhanced package for the upcoming Ramadan, saying that financial assistance and social protection for low- and lower-middle-income households were government priorities.
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The prime minister directed ministries and agencies to ensure that eligible low-income households were included in the assistance program to the greatest extent possible. It also called for the creation of a digital dashboard and tracking system to monitor implementation.
The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Poverty Alleviation Minister Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain and IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
The meeting was also attended by Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar as well as chairmen of NADRA and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and other senior officials.
