A poverty alleviation survey in Pakistan has revealed several secret marriages of men and women living below the poverty line. The findings left officials confused over who should get the aid money: the ‘official wives’ of poor men or their secret second wives. The problem stemmed from the fact that each family tree in Pakistan begins with a male head of the family and the poverty aid is being distributed among families, not individuals. The results of the survey were revealed at a Senate panel meeting by Dr Sania Nisthar, the special assistant to the PM on poverty alleviation. She heads the Ehsaas programme that provides monthly stipend handouts to about 15 million families with ea...