Rana, Muhammad Ahsan <br/><br/>
Political economy of Pakistan’s Benazir income support programme 

 - Economic & Political Weekly 
 - c 
<br/><br/> Pakistan’s largest cash transfer programme, the Benazir Income Support Programme, has grown substantially since its launch in 2008. Through an analysis of official documents and interviews with key informants, the political economy of this growth is examined. The material interests of various stakeholders whose support has sustained the programme are looked into. The role of the International Monetary Fund is also examined. It is argued that in addition to political mileage and material gain for politicians and bureaucrats, the programme performs several latent functions, such as legitimising the Pakistani state and pacifying the surplus population, which have been crucial in sustaining support from key stakeholders, including the IMF. – Reproduced <br/><br/>https://www.epw.in/journal/2025/33/special-articles/political-economy-pakistans-benazir-income-support.html<br/>\<br/>