The Benazir Income Support Programme has taken a notable step toward deepening its digital outreach by holding a high-level meeting with leadership from VEON Group and Jazz to explore collaboration on digital inclusion and financial empowerment initiatives. The meeting brought together BISP Chairperson Senator Rubina Khalid, VEON Group Chief Executive Officer Kaan Terzioglu, Jazz Chief Executive Officer Amir Ibrahim, and Jazz Chief Corporate and Regulatory Officer Syed Zaheer Mehdi. The discussion covered a broad range of areas where the organisations see potential for meaningful joint action, reflecting a shared recognition that expanding digital and financial access for BISP’s predominantly female beneficiary base requires both institutional will and private sector capability working in concert.
Among the key areas discussed were improvements to existing payment mechanisms for beneficiaries, the promotion of skill development opportunities, and the use of modern digital and social media platforms to run awareness campaigns targeted at BISP’s beneficiary communities. The role of artificial intelligence in supporting these efforts also featured prominently in the conversation. Senator Rubina Khalid placed particular emphasis on the need to develop AI-powered audio and video tutorials in regional languages, an approach designed to make digital and financial literacy content genuinely accessible to women across diverse linguistic and geographic backgrounds, many of whom face barriers related to language, literacy, and connectivity. She further stressed that creating employment pathways for women through structured skill development programs remains a central priority of the programme alongside ensuring that financial assistance is delivered in a dignified and transparent manner.
VEON Group CEO Kaan Terzioglu expressed appreciation for the scope and intent of BISP’s ongoing reforms and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the programme’s objectives. He proposed the organization of joint workshops specifically aimed at strengthening digital and financial literacy among BISP beneficiaries, a practical next step that would allow both sides to translate the discussion into on-the-ground impact. The partnership, if formalized, would position Jazz’s extensive mobile network and VEON’s digital services infrastructure as a delivery mechanism for financial education at scale, reaching women in areas where traditional outreach has historically been limited. The meeting signals a broader intent to leverage telecom and digital platforms not just for connectivity but as active instruments of social and economic inclusion.
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