Over 10 million of Pakistan’s most vulnerable women have, for the first time, received bank accounts linked to mobile wallets under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), ending years of dependence on agents for cash disbursements. The initiative allows beneficiaries to receive their monthly stipends directly through these accounts without standing in long queues, offering convenience, speed, and greater financial autonomy. According to Amir Ali Ahmed, secretary of BISP, opening the accounts took over 16 years of advocacy and coordination at the highest levels of government, highlighting the longstanding challenges faced by women in accessing financial services.
These mobile wallet accounts, attached to the beneficiaries’ computerised national identity cards, can be operated via mobile phones, and the government has provided free SIM cards in collaboration with Pakistan’s telecom companies. Unlike traditional accounts, these wallets do not issue debit cards; funds are accessed exclusively through biometric verification to prevent misuse by middlemen or male family members. So far, authorities have distributed 1.7 million SIM cards, with a target of reaching at least 30 percent of beneficiaries by the end of next month and 80 percent by March. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has set a goal of fully digitizing BISP payments by June next year, as part of the broader cashless economy initiative led by Bilal Azhar Kayani, minister of state for finance.
Several banks and mobile financial services have contributed to account creation, with Habib Bank Limited opening 3.1 million accounts, Bank Al-Falah 3 million, Bank of Punjab 2 million, JazzCash 1.2 million, and Easypaisa nearly 700,000. Distribution plans include 5.1 million SIMs in Punjab, 2.6 million in Sindh, 2.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 485,000 in Balochistan, 167,360 in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, 115,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan, and 21,000 in Islamabad Capital Territory. These accounts are expected to strengthen social protection delivery, increase financial inclusion, and reduce dependency on intermediaries.
The implementation of this social protection wallet relies on a coordinated, multi-agency approach. Ministry of Information Technology oversees SIM distribution and telco deployment, PTA provides regulatory oversight and secure data sharing, and NADRA manages biometric verification and duplication prevention. Despite progress, challenges remain, particularly with limited biometric-enabled ATMs, of which fewer than 6,000 out of 16,000 are operational. To mitigate this, beneficiaries can access funds at local shops equipped with biometric facilities. The transition marks a significant step in digitizing social welfare, ensuring transparency, and empowering Pakistan’s women with direct control over their stipends while enhancing efficiency in financial service delivery.
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