Shangla: Illegal deductions from cash assistance provided under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) continue in Shangla district, with women beneficiaries reporting unlawful cuts to their payments despite severe snowfall and freezing temperatures.

Beneficiaries said destitute women are forced to wait in long queues for hours—sometimes up to five hours—at payment points, only to face deductions by retailers. According to the women, while the government releases the full quarterly installment, local retailers deduct amounts ranging from Rs300 to Rs1,000, and in some remote areas between Rs1,500 and Rs2,000 per beneficiary.

Complaints have emerged from Alpuri, the district headquarters, as well as other parts of Shangla, where retailers are allegedly operating without fear of accountability. Women reported that instead of immediate payment, they are issued tokens and made to wait for hours before deductions are imposed at the time of disbursement.

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The situation is reported to be more severe in remote villages, where women said they often walk several kilometres on frozen roads early in the morning to reach payment centres. Beneficiaries, including widows and women with no alternative source of income, said deductions were also made from their children’s educational stipends.

Several women told The Nation that Rs300 to Rs1,000 was deducted from their payments, while others reported higher amounts. They said the practice is widespread across the district and involves most retailers, yet no effective action is taken against those responsible.

The beneficiaries further alleged that when complaints are raised, retailers silence them by claiming that officials from the Benazir Income Support Programme and the local administration also receive a share of the deducted money. Due to fear and economic hardship, many women said they accept the deductions under compulsion.

Women also described frequent delays caused by claims of network failure or malfunctioning biometric devices, adding to their mental distress after hours of waiting in extreme cold.

On the other hand, some retailers, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed they invest large sums in advance and receive only Rs18 to Rs40 per transaction from banks, which they say does not cover operational costs. They cited this as the reason for imposing deductions, a practice that remains illegal under BISP rules.

BISP has faced controversy in Shangla since its launch, with recurring allegations of financial irregularities. Critics question why deductions continue to be imposed on some of the poorest segments of society, including widows and impoverished women, if officials and intermediaries claim they do not personally benefit.

There have been recent enforcement actions elsewhere in the district. In Tehsil Besham, retailers involved in illegal deductions were arrested and sent to jail. On the occasion, the Assistant Commissioner Besham warned that any future deductions would not be tolerated and that violators would face imprisonment without discrimination.