Earlier, news reports emerged that bank accounts dedicated to Pakistan’s flood relief and set up by the Prime Minister were allegedly hacked and a considerable amount of money was withdrawn.
Pertinent to mention that the task of disbursing Flood Relief Cash Assistance among the flood-hit people was assigned to the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
As a result, the reports raised alarm because people have donated millions to the flood relief fund. Moreover, criticism was also amassed against the incumbent government and it was accused of being the alleged hacker.
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“BISP money is being hacked and withdrawn while normal life has not been restored in the flood-affected areas. Nawab Shah, Khairpur Road is presenting a river scene. Hundreds of villages of Mihar, Dadu, Juhi, Khairpur Nathan Shah are still under water. The whole nation knows these hackers,” Former Deputy Speaker of National Assembly, Qasim Suri tweeted.
بی آئی ایس پی کی رقم ہیک کر کے نکلوائی جا رہی ہے جبکہ سیلاب سے متاثرہ علاقوں میں معمولات زندگی اب تک بحال نہ ہوسکے۔ نواب شاہ، خیرپور روڈ دریا کا منظر پیش کررہا ہے میہڑ، دادو، جوہی، خیرپور ناتھن شاہ کے سینکڑوں دیہات اب بھی زیر آب ہیں۔
ان ہیکرز کو پوری قوم جانتی ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/OiFrtHtKYn— Qasim Khan Suri (@QasimKhanSuri) September 19, 2022
Please do let us know who is the HACKER. PDM is the HACKER. These thieves will NOT even spare the Flood money. PDM looters in action. pic.twitter.com/5rMbyP5Aqa
— Murad Raas (@DrMuradPTI) September 20, 2022
BISP gives clarification
Reacting to the criticism, BISP claimed the news is fake.
“There are no such reports of hacking of the accounts linked with the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Cash Assistance via BISP. Both bank accounts are working fine and disbursements are ongoing at the BISP campsites,” BISP clarified.
🚨 FAKE NEWS ALERT
There are no such reports of hacking of the accounts linked with the Prime Minister’s Flood Relief Cash Assistance via @bisp_pakistan. Both @HBLPak and @BankAlfalahPAK accounts are working fine and disbursements are ongoing at the BISP campsites. https://t.co/bSqoHuUN09
— Benazir Income Support Programme (@bisp_pakistan) September 19, 2022
BISP also revealed that there were complaints of re-deductions from the flood relief cash assistance. However, BISP took strict action against the culprits involved and lodged First Information Reports (FIR) against them.
“Strict action was taken against those involved, FIRs were registered and culprits arrested. Benazir Income Support Programme has a zero-tolerance policy for such practices,” BISP said.
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Under the leadership of Federal Minister of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety and Chairperson BISP, Shazia Marri, BISP rolled out its operations in the flood-affected areas and presently the flood relief activities are operational in 69 districts by establishing more than 400 payment sites. BISP is disbursing cash relief of Rs. 25,000 per family to the flood-affected families across the country.
BISP has so far disbursed over Rs. 25 billion to 1,017,214 flood affected families by providing 25000 PKR per family.