ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee of the National Assembly (NA) on Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety voiced serious concern over the inadequacy of the Rs50 daily stipend for children enrolled in Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) schools and directed that an urgent survey be conducted to rationalize the stipend in accordance with inflationary trends and international child protection standards, particularly considering Pakistan’s GSP Plus commitments.
The committee issued directives for PBM to urgently revise the child labour stipend structure, submit updated proposals supported by empirical data, and enhance its outreach and service delivery mechanisms ahead of the next session.
The standing committee held its meeting with the Chairman Mir Ghulam Ali Talpur here at the Committee Room of the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (Head Office) to assess the implementation status of key welfare programs and address critical gaps in the Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal service delivery.
The Committee scrutinized the implementation status of prior directives, expressing profound dissatisfaction over the protracted delays in operationalizing Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) centers in Malam Bot Tehsil and other marginalized regions adjacent to Pak -Afghan border region in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. The BISP representatives disclosed that the BISP’s Board has been defunct since February 2025, stalling the inauguration of new facilities in 180 tehsils across the country.
The Secretary for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety noted that the requisite approvals remain pending at the Prime Minister’s Office since March 2025.
Inquiries pertaining to promotions within Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal (PBM) were met with clarification that such processes are presently suspended in compliance with the federal government’s rightsizing policy.
The director administration of PBM apprised the Committee of the institution’s expansive mandate, spanning healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, child welfare, eldercare, and disability support.
The Committee was informed that the financial aid is rigorously restricted to individuals subsisting below the minimum wage threshold i.e. 37000/- monthly, with public-sector employees categorically excluded. Under its medical assistance framework, PBM disburses up to Rs1 million for oncology treatments and Rs2.15 million for cochlear implants, cumulative expenditure over Rs15 billion in the past fifteen years.
He further informed that the educational scholarships are allocated via university nominations, with funds remitted directly to academic institutions; the Committee mandated PBM to furnish a comprehensive list of all beneficiary universities.
In the domain of vocational training, PBM collaborates with National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) to deliver six-month courses across 15 trades, prioritizing female participation, with stipends and material provisions ensured.
Its child protection initiatives encompass 160 schools for child labourers, providing stipends, uniforms, textbooks, and meals, while 46 Sweet Homes cater to orphans up to FSc, with sustained support for tertiary education through other PBM welfare programs.
The Orphan and Widow Support Programme disburses Rs8,000 monthly to 1,112 families across 21 districts, alongside annual grants of Rs30,000 to 29,060 families of persons with disabilities. PBM further sustains a pilot elder care facility in Lahore and 17 shelter homes across the country.
The Committee was briefed on PBM’s institutional reforms, including digitized recordkeeping (60% e-filing compliance) and a tripartite audit mechanism. Prospective initiatives entail its expansion into 60 additional districts, establishment of Master Training Centres, a Nursing Training Institute, acquisition of a Regional Blood Centre, and an Isolation Hospital and Infections Treatment Center in the Chak Shahzad, Islamabad.
The PBM was instructed to provide complete, data-backed responses to all queries raised by members before the next meeting. Additional queries were raised regarding the university-wise distribution of scholarships, data-sharing mechanisms with federal entities, the accreditation process for the Nursing Training Institute, and the absence of PBM counters in civilian District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals.
The PBM clarified that while most partnerships are with government hospitals, some specialized private hospitals are also engaged, and that an integrated data sharing arrangement with Nadra, BISP, and AGPR is already in place, meanwhile, efforts are underway to enhance data sharing mechanisms with the concerned federal government ministries.
The questions pertaining to the selection mechanism for enrolling underprivileged children into private schools, PBM’s limited footprint in regions such as Bajaur and Chitral, and the operational status of the cochlear implant programme were also addressed.
Members appreciated the efficiency gains achieved by employing in-house tailoring units for the production of school uniforms and acknowledged the progress made in discussions with the ministries of Overseas Pakistanis and Health regarding the Nursing Training Institute.
Published in News Daily on 29-April-2025.
