ISLAMABAD - The Federal Investigation Agency on Friday launched inquiry against government officials who were involved financial irregularities in Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
The investigation into the scam was ordered by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The report of officers who got benefit from the BISP will be presented before him.
According to sources within the FIA, as many as 3,000 government officers got benefits from the BISP. FIA headquarters has forwarded details of the officers to all provincial zones whereas a letter has also been sent to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for their information regarding family tree, biometric and occupation.
Record of these officers’ pays and employment has also been sought from Auditor General of Pakistan Revenue (AGPR).
It is worth mentioning here that 2,543 senior officers were removed from the BISP list.
Officials from Balochistan and Sindh received highest amounts through the programme.
Overall, three officers of grade 21 and 59 officers of grade 20 quarterly received the sum under the programme whereas 429 officials of grade 19 were also among the beneficiaries.
At least 342 officers of Grade 18 (from Sindh) and 1,240 officers of Grade 17 (overall) derived advantages from the government run scheme to help the destitute people. Earlier on January 18, services of four government officers had been terminated over illegally taking tri-monthly handouts of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). In first punitive action against the officials involved in the BISP scam, the government had notified termination of four officers of Grade-17, who had been getting the money meant for poor segment of the society after getting registered their wives in the list of the BISP beneficiaries.
On December 26, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Sania Nishtar had announced that the federal government has decided to expel 820,165 unmerited people from the database of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
