Pakistan Gives BISP Rs. 838 Billion, Outspending Health and Higher Education by 8 Times
Updated
Updated · minutemirror.com.pk · Jun 15
Pakistan Gives BISP Rs. 838 Billion, Outspending Health and Higher Education by 8 Times
3 articles · Updated · minutemirror.com.pk · Jun 15
Summary
Rs. 838 billion in Pakistan’s 2026-27 budget goes to the Benazir Income Support Programme, versus Rs. 53.3 billion for federal health and Rs. 46 billion for higher education combined.
That gap reflects a budget tilt toward immediate cash support for about 10 million families rather than long-term investment in clinics, disease control, universities and workforce capacity.
Health spending is also skewed internally: only Rs. 500 million is earmarked for tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria, while the disease-surveillance workforce programme gets Rs. 99.9 million and drug control Rs. 144 million.
Broader fiscal pressures leave little room for transformation, with pensions at Rs. 1,094.5 billion, subsidies at Rs. 1,091 billion and interest payments at Rs. 8,054 billion in a budget targeting 4% growth under IMF-linked constraints.