In a shocking story published in this morning’s Nation, the PML (Nawaz) and PML (Quaid) have chosen to NOT distribute the application forms for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), which would provide the foundations of a welfare system to the poor of Pakistan.

Sadly, the “party of the people (as the PML-N likes to call itself)” is not interested in providing this facility to the people of the Punjab. According to the report, all the leaders of the PML-N and PML-Q have decided that the poor of the Punjab don’t need access to this programme because they have the Sharifs to feed them.

Sources in BISP revealed that PML-N MNAs, Javed Hashmi, Memoona Hashmi and Hamza Shahbaz Sharif received their quota of BISP forms for distribution among the deserving persons, but did not return these back to the concerned department for further investigation and payment of money, thereby depriving them of the financial assistance to be given by the govt on their recommendation.

Neither of the three legislators was available when this scribe tried to contact them to seek their version. Data collected from BISP’s regional office in Lahore has revealed that 61 Punjab Assembly members mostly belonging to PML-N and PML-Q, and also including son of PM Gilani, Abdul Qadir Gilani, did not even bother to receive the BISP forms for onward distribution among the poor of their respective constituencies.

According to the break up, out of these 61 legislators, 40 belong to PML-N, 19 to PML-Q, while two have their affiliation with PPP. Punjab Assembly members who did not receive the forms include:

PML-N: Raja Fiaz Sarwar, Sheharyar Riaz, Yasir Raza Malik, Tahir Ahmed Sindhu, Khalid Imtiaz Khan Baloch, Mian Muhammad Rafique, Rai Nasir Mehmood, Ch Irfan-ud-Din, Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Imran Ashraf, Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan, Munnawar Ahmed Gill, Jamil Ashraf, Yahya Gul Nawaz, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Allah Rakha, Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmed, Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Saeed Ilahi, Syed Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Mian Naseer Ahmed, Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Peer Muhammad Ashraf Rasool, Rai Farooq Umer Khan Kharal, Mian Yawar Zaman, Malik Ali Abbas Khokhar, Muhammad Moeen Wattoo, Karam Dad Wahla, Ch Javed Ahmed Advocate, Sardar Wajid Hussain Dogar, Sardar Meer Badshah Khan Qaisrani, Sardar Atif Hussain Khan Mazari, Sardar Sher Ali Khan Gorchani, Syed Haroon Ahmed Sultan Bokhari, Asif Manzoor Mohal, Ch Muhammad Shafique, Arifa Khalid Pervaiz, Fariha Nayab, Mrs Laila Muqaddas and Ms Rehana Hadees.

PML-Q: Shaukat Aziz Bhatti, Malik Aitbar Khan, Malik Muhammad Zahoor Ahmed, Muhammad Ajmal, Najaf Abbas Khan Sial, Hamid Nasir Chattha, M Rizwan, Lt Col (Retd) Shujaat Ahmed Khan, Syed Raza Ali Gillani, Rana Ijaz Ahmed Noon, Peer Walayat Shah Khagga, Malik Jalal-ud-Din Dhakku, Malik Iqbal Ahmed Langriyal, Mian Atta Muhammad Khan Maneka, Malik Javed Kamran Khan, Imran Qureshi, M Afzal, M Ijaz Shafi and Ms Saba Sadiq.

PPP: Qasim Zia and Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani.

The PPP names are the party President in the Punjab and the Prime Minister’s own son.

I guess that shows the faith of the PPP in their own programme.