Punjab CM launches ‘Rehmat Card’ programme for widows & orphans

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched the “CM Punjab Rehmat Card” programme a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at providing structured financial assistance to widows and orphaned children in the province. The Chief Minister digitally inaugurated the programme. An amount of Rs5 billion has been allocated from the provincial Zakat Fund for the initiative. Under the programme, 50, 000 widows and orphaned children will receive financial assistance of Rs100, 000 each. Only Shariah-eligible Muslim widows and orphaned children entitled to Zakat will qualify for the scheme, while government employees, pensioners and Sahib-e-Nisab individuals will not be eligible. Applications can be submitted through the official web portal and mobile application, while further information can be obtained via helpline 1077. Beneficiaries will be selected through the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER) database on the basis of district quotas. In case of non-registration in PSER, applicants’ data will be verified through NADRA. The financial assistance will be disbursed through JazzCash wallet accounts, with service charges to be borne by the provincial government on the directions of the Chief Minister. Special Assistant Rashid Iqbal Nasrullah informed the CM about the programme. The CM Punjab directed that the implementation of the programme be ensured in a transparent, fair and merit-based manner to guarantee proper utilisation of Zakat funds. She said the objective of the “CM Punjab Rehmat Card” programme is to ensure social dignity and economic empowerment of the deserving segments of society. The initiative has been launched under the guidance of Nawaz Sharif, she added, expressing the resolve to continue expanding such welfare efforts. The Chief Minister further said it is her desire that no widow or orphan in Punjab should feel helpless or unsupported, adding that the government believes in public service rather than traditional politics. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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