RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday appointed Me-mber National Assembly Marvi Memon as chairperson of Benazir Income Support Programme.

Memon's designation would be equivalent to minister of state. The position was lying vacant after Enver Baig resigned from his position on Nov 25 last year.

She is considered to be well connected in the ruling party and a close aide of Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the daughter of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The current budget of the BISP is Rs97.15 billion and main objective of the programme is to alleviate poverty by giving a monthly stipend of Rs1500 to its each beneficiary.

She was elected MNA in 2002 and 2008 on reserved seats for women. On June 22, 2011, she resigned from the PMLQ and from her national assembly seat as well, citing the prevalent corruption and nepotism in the PMLQ as the main reason.

More than seven months after her resignation, she chose to join the Pakistan Muslim League (N) which was announced on March 4, 2012.

Memon also contested May 11, 2013 general election from NA-237 constituency (Thatta), on a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ticket but she lost the election. She, however, bagged 69,983 votes.

She was later nominated by the PML-N as a member of the National Assembly from Punjab's reserved seats for women.