Rights-based social protection

THE last few years have seen a slow expansion of social assistance programmes in Pakistan. Among mainstream political parties, the PPP claims to embrace such programmes as a policy measure. In 2008, the PPP-led federal government introduced the first targeted cash transfer programme, the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). In its 2024 election manifesto, the PPP promised to introduce additional schemes including subsidies for farmers and stipends for students. The Sindh government has also launched a World Bank-funded Mother and Child Support programme, which disburses cash to pregnant women and mothers on the condition that they utilise maternal healthcare and basic services for their young children. This growth in social assistance schemes is in line with global trends. In recent years, there has been a noteworthy rise in welfare schemes in developing countries. Today, 120 low- and middle-income countries run cash transfer programmes for poor families that cover around 2.5 billion people, according to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research.