Punjab CM announces minority cards for deserving families at Diwali event

CM Maryam Nawaz pledges financial support for minorities and farmers across Punjab.

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Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz announced new welfare programmes for minorities and farmers across Punjab, pledging financial support and assistance for those in need.

Speaking at a Diwali event in Lahore, Maryam Nawaz extended greetings to the Hindu community and announced plans for a minority card programme.

The cards, aimed at supporting low-income minority families, will be launched on 20 December, allowing eligible recipients to receive Rs 10,000 every three months.

The chief minister reiterated her administration’s commitment to religious inclusivity, stating, “We are all Pakistanis without discrimination,” adding that the Hindu, Christian, and Sikh communities are integral to Pakistan's cultural fabric and national progress.

Additionally, CM Punjab pledged Rs 15,000 each for 1,400 minority families on the occasion of Diwali, along with an increase in provincial funding for minority welfare initiatives.

During the event, Maryam Nawaz also addressed Punjab's ongoing smog issues, calling it a “human problem” and urging cooperation between Indian and Pakistani Punjab to seek solutions.

In a separate announcement in Hafizabad earlier this week, CM Nawaz expanded the ‘Kisan Card Programme,’ providing financial support to small farmers.

The programme now offers loans up to Rs 150,000 per crop season, allowing farmers to purchase essential supplies using their Kisan Cards. The government increased the programme’s budget to issue 750,000 Kisan Cards, up from 500,000.

Farmers with 12.5 to 25 acres of wheat land will be eligible for free laser levelers, while those with over 25 acres will receive tractors.Maryam Nawaz also announced plans to offer agricultural equipment rentals at no profit to further support local farming.