MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) has introduced an interoperability system for digital payments to improve convenience, transparency and access to financial assistance for deserving women.
Under the new system, beneficiaries will be able to collect their payments from a retailer of their choice across the country through the OneLink network after receiving a payment confirmation SMS and activating their digital wallets in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
The initiative aims to provide women with greater flexibility in accessing their financial assistance while reducing difficulties associated with payment collection.
The details were shared by BISP Azad Jammu and Kashmir Regional Director General Haider Murtaza while addressing the closing ceremony of a one-day training workshop on digital payments, the Social Protection Wallet and the interoperability system.
The workshop was organised by the BISP Azad Kashmir region to strengthen the capacity of officers and field staff to guide beneficiaries about the new payment mechanism.
A total of 66 officers and officials, including deputy directors, assistant directors and field staff from various districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), attended the workshop.
BSP DG AJK Haider Murtaza clarified that beneficiaries would initially have to collect their first instalment from a retailer, in accordance with the prescribed instructions, to activate their digital wallets.
“After activation, they would be able to collect subsequent payments from other retailers, subject to the available facilities and applicable rules,” he added.
He advised beneficiaries to visit payment centres only after receiving a confirmation SMS and following the relevant instructions.
Murtaza also urged women to safeguard their mobile phones, SIM cards, identity details and verification codes and never share confidential information with unauthorised individuals.
Adnan Ghuman, Director General of Operations Management at BISP Headquarters in Islamabad, also attended the workshop.
He said the training aimed to equip officials with the knowledge to explain the digital wallet system in simple language, including its benefits, payment procedures, protection of personal information, and complaint registration mechanisms.
Ghuman emphasised that the digital wallet was not merely a change in the payment method but an effort to provide deserving women with greater convenience and choice in accessing financial assistance.
Participants received practical training on the Social Protection Wallet, digital payment procedures, institutional coordination, grievance redressal, and handling field-level challenges.
Senior Resource Person Muhammad Hamza conducted an online session on the Social Protection Vault and integrated institutional systems, while Farrukh Rashid, a quality assurance consultant at BISP Headquarters, explained the procedure for registering and tracking complaints through the Integrated Grievance Management System.
Dr Quratul Ain, Deputy Director of Training and Development, discussed common field-level challenges and their solutions through practical exercises and case studies. Azmat Ali Khan, Assistant Director Policy at BISP Headquarters, conducted a session on policy and decision-making, while Masood Ur Rehman, Assistant Director of Learning and Development, also participated in the training.
