Federal Government Considering Handing Over Benazir Income Support Programme to Provinces

ISLAMABAD: The federal government is considering transferring the Benazir Income Support Programme to provincial governments following discussions on the distribution of powers after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
Speaking to a private television channel, Federal Minister Khel Das Kohistani said that since most powers have been devolved to the provinces under the 18th Amendment, financial assistance programs should also be managed by provincial governments.
He stated that some provinces have also raised the issue and emphasized that the government would make any decision only after consultation with coalition partners and political parties.
Khel Das Kohistani clarified that there is currently no proposal under consideration to completely abolish the Benazir Income Support Programme.
The discussion comes amid broader debates on fiscal decentralization and the distribution of welfare responsibilities between the federal and provincial governments.