PESHAWAR, September 11: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have agreed to strengthen coordination on data sharing, skills training, maternal and child health, and other social protection initiatives aimed at improving support for beneficiary families.
BISP Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid held separate meetings in Peshawar with Lieutenant (Retd.) Islam Zeb, Additional Chief Secretary of the Planning and Development Department, and KP Health Minister Khaliq ur Rehman along with Health Secretary Fayyaz Ali Shah.
During the meeting with the Planning and Development Department, discussions focused on closer coordination between BISP and provincial departments, sharing of National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) data, skills training for children from BISP beneficiary households under the Benazir Hunarmand Programme, and cooperation on the Benazir Nashonuma Programme.
Senator Rubina Khalid said sharing relevant data with provincial departments could improve the identification of eligible people and help ensure that programme benefits reach intended beneficiaries.
She said stronger institutional coordination would also allow available resources to be used more effectively.
The meeting agreed to enhance coordination between BISP and provincial departments, make better use of data for beneficiary identification and outreach, and collaborate on social protection and human development programmes.
Later, Senator Rubina Khalid met KP Health Minister Khaliq ur Rehman and Health Secretary Fayyaz Ali Shah to discuss the Benazir Nashonuma Programme, maternal and child health, nutrition and the challenge of stunting among children.
She stressed the need for closer cooperation between BISP and the provincial Health Department to improve health and nutrition outcomes for mothers and children.
The health minister and secretary assured BISP of continued cooperation for the effective implementation of the Benazir Nashonuma Programme and broader efforts to improve maternal and child well-being.
BISP Director General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Alf Jan Afridi was also present during the meetings.