Social Protection and Clientelistic Politics: A Case Study of Benazir Income Support Program (BISP)

Social safety nets programs are not just assistance programs but these are significant elements for building and strengthening social contracts between states and citizens. The safety nets programs are used for the help of deprived segment of the society. Some theorist argues that these safety net schemes are utilize for making vote bank. This study was interested to contribute these debates through an analysis of cash grant scheme of BISP introduced by Pakistan People Party in 2008 BISP has received a tremendous support from the World Bank, USAID, ADB and DFID This study explores how the cash grant of BISP program is used by PPP for making vole bank. Case Study method was adapted to conduct this research study. District Nowshera was taken as a case for the analysis of the BISP scheme. Data is collected from primary and secondary sources Interview is used as a tool for data collection Numbers of persons of different cadres were interviewed for the sake of data collection in district Nowshera. After interviewing a number of persons randomly in district Nowshera, a lot of issues were found. These issues include technical and political issues. Technical issues include lope holes of BISP Poverty Score Card, fake forms and data steeling, fake call and SMS, ill- behavior and choice commission at Easy Paisa shops, Fake BISP forms selling, Ill -behavior of BISP staff, use of ATM Cards, issues in BVS (Biometric Verification System), and hurdles in getting stipend. While politically it was found that PPP utilized the name of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto late for making vote bank. They got the sympathies of public by utilizing her name. The beneficiary's selection survey was also biased. All the surveyors were belonged to PPP. The political interference was involved in the survey. All the selection had done on politician's choice. Favoritism and nepotism were the rule of the day. All the key position holders in BISP program were belonged to PPP. Billions of rupees were spent by propagating this scheme for making vote bank. This study has concluded that the BISP program of cash grant has used for clientelistic politics by Pakistan People Party.