BISP chief clears the air over '5,598 wives' claim
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Chairperson and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Rubina Khalid has rejected reports claiming that a single man had 5,598 wives registered in the BISP database, calling the reports misleading and contrary to the facts.
In a statement, Rubina Khalid clarified that the audit report did not state that one individual had registered 5,598 wives. Instead, the report identified 5,598 cases of mismatched marital data in the programme's records.
She said some individuals and social media users had presented the audit observations out of context, creating confusion among the public.
The BISP chairperson explained that registering multiple spouses does not result in any additional financial benefit. Under the programme's rules, each eligible household receives only one payment, regardless of the number of wives recorded in official data.
Rubina Khalid stressed that every BISP payment is made only after verification by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). She said no beneficiary can receive financial assistance without proper identity verification and profiling.
She added that the cases highlighted in the audit relate to data correction and record profiling rather than financial fraud or misuse of public funds.
According to the BISP chairperson, the programme completed a fresh verification of its database in June 2025. The database currently covers 38.7 million households and contains nearly 200 million records.
She noted that identifying 5,598 discrepancies within such a large database reflects the effectiveness of the programme's monitoring and audit mechanisms rather than weaknesses in the system.
Rubina Khalid also said BISP has a strong process for correcting records, verifying information and recovering payments if any irregularity is detected before funds are released.
She urged the public and media outlets to avoid spreading unverified or misleading information, adding that BISP's transparency has been acknowledged in reports issued by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Aga Khan University.
