Bro, it’s 3 a.m. and I’m half-dead lying here scrolling, so I thought let me just type this out because I keep seeing people mix up Benazir Income Support and the Ehsaas Program like they’re the same thing… deadass, they’re not even close, man. 😂
How Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) Started
Okay, listen… the Benazir one (BISP) came in 2008 when everything was messed up because food prices had gone crazy high. It was basically straight cash given to poor families — mostly to the women because they knew men would probably drink it away (lmao, that’s the real tea). It was simple: here’s money, go buy food and survive. Named after Benazir Bhutto obviously — respect to her — but that’s it… just cash, nothing fancy.
Then Came Imran Khan and the Ehsaas Program
Then Imran Khan came in 2019 and was like “nah bro, we gotta go bigger” and dropped this thing called Ehsaas. It’s basically the Avengers version of welfare programs 😂. BISP is inside it now, but Ehsaas has education, health insurance, scholarships, nutrition for kids, skills training, jobs… the whole package, dude.
They literally built it on four pillars:
- Addressing extreme poverty
- Safety nets
- Human capital development
- Jobs and livelihoods
Sounds like a World Bank PowerPoint, but low-key it’s actually doing real work.
Delivery: Old School vs Full Digital
BISP was giving cash through banks, ATMs, and sometimes even people standing around with envelopes (which was shady as hell sometimes, ngl). Ehsaas went full digital — biometric verification, mobile wallets, direct to phone. Way less corruption and middlemen eating the money, you know?
The Numbers Tell the Story
BISP started with about 1 million families in 2008 and quickly grew to 2 million. Ehsaas is now reaching 10–12 million families (or some crazy number like that — I’m too sleepy to remember exactly), but it’s massive now.
Band-Aid vs Breaking the Cycle
Honestly, BISP was good for its time. It saved a lot of people when nothing else existed. But Ehsaas feels more proper — it’s actually trying to pull people out of poverty, not just keep them alive. Education for kids, health cards so they don’t die if someone gets sick, skills training so they can earn for themselves… that kind of stuff actually breaks the cycle. BISP was more like an emergency bandage.
I get pissed when people say Ehsaas is just rebranded BISP. Bro, no… it’s literally 100+ programs under one roof now. They even have this Nashonuma program giving nutrient-rich peanut-butter-style paste to kids so they don’t stay stunted.
USAID, World Bank — everyone is pouring money into Ehsaas now because it looks more “modern.” BISP got foreign funding too, but Ehsaas is getting the big-boy money these days.
Conclusion
Bottom line: if you’re struggling and just need cash to eat today — both programs help. But if you want your kids to study, stay healthy, learn a skill, and actually escape the cycle of poverty for good… Ehsaas is the real move.
BISP = cash.
Ehsaas = cash + a full life-upgrade package.
Night, bro 😭🤦♂️
