LAHORE, Feb 18: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said the People’s Party has fulfilled the promise to empower women it made in its election manifesto by launching the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

“This is the first programme in the country that will directly benefit the oppressed sections of the society directly,” the prime minister said before formally inaugurating the provincial directorate-general of the Benazir Income Support Programme at Lahore’s New Muslim Town on Wednesday.

Mr Gilani said soon a health insurance scheme would also be introduced for the poor strata of the society, followed by other relief measures.

He said the government has been running the BISP in a transparent manner and getting international recognition. International donor agencies have appreciated the programme and offered to lend a hand. “We want to make it (BISP) more transparent as the international donors link their support to the transparency.”

Regarding delay in implementation of the programme, Mr Gilani said the BISP application form sought comprehensive details of the applicants and the verification of the same consumed time.

He said now all the members of provincial assemblies, irrespective of their political affiliation, had also been involved in the BISP. Each MPA would get 1,000 forms for distribution, he added.

All the applicants would get payment with effect from Oct 1 last year, he said, adding some 100,000 BISP forms had been allocated for Kashmir, and another 50,000 for northern areas.

He said the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) would issue free computerised national identity cards.

Appreciating Punjab government Food Support Scheme, he said every province was not in a position to launch such relief plan owing to financial constraints. The prime minister said the first year in power was very tough and challenging. “One year ago even the Newsweek observed that the worst job in the world is to be the prime minister of Pakistan. Everything was in disorder but now things have started improving. I congratulate the people of Pakistan on completion of one year of democracy in the country.”

He said the government had evolved a three-pronged strategy to settle down issues pertaining to law and order. “Army action is no solution. Dialogue, development and deterrence helped us resolve the Swat issue and would be beneficial in restoring peace to other troubled areas as well. I had told former US president Bush that in order to eliminate terrorism we will have to eliminate its root causes like poverty, hunger, diseases, unemployment and lack of basic amenities,” he added.

He was optimistic that the pattern of Senate seats adjustment in Punjab and Sindh would also be followed in the remaining two provinces and the federal capital.

He was all praise for Nawaz Sharif and Shujaat Hussain for showing political maturity.