LAHORE: The government needs to extend the scope of public services and welfare assistance to widows and also make the process of accessing these services for them much simpler.
Social experts said this while speaking with reference to the “International Widows Day” marked here on Tuesday like other parts of the world with a resolve to extend the widows all-out support.
Experts highlighted that lengthy and complex procedures often become a source of hardship rather than relief for vulnerable women. To eliminate these complications and ensure that a distressed widow receives her due rights without unnecessary hassle, social experts have demanded five key reforms. These include the establishment of a one-window operation at the tehsil level, an automated system for inheritance and land transfer, digitalization of marital status verification (Smart Verification), swift and free issuance of updated National Identity Cards, and the immediate initiation of interim relief upon application submission through the following:
One-Window Operation:
Instead of forcing widows to run back and forth between the scattered offices of NADRA, the Punjab Social Protection Authority, and the Revenue Department (Patwari culture), a single “One-Window Desk” should be established at every tehsil level for all relief programmes — including the Benazir Income Support Program and the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry. This would ensure all verifications are completed under one roof.
Automated Inheritance and Land Transfer System:
Immediately upon the issuance of a husband’s death certificate by NADRA, the deceased’s inheritance data should be automatically transferred to the Revenue Department (Punjab Land Records Authority). This mechanism will save widows from enduring long, exhausting rounds of Patwari offices or courts just to get property transferred to their names.
Digitalisation of Status Verification (Smart Verification):
The stringent requirement of manual annual verification of widowhood (such as biometric verification or counsellor testimonials) must be permanently abolished. Instead, it should be linked directly to NADRA’s live database (marriage/death records) to make it fully automated, ensuring that the pensions or stipends of elderly or ailing women are not blocked without cause.
Swift and Free Update of Identity Cards:
The requirement for extensive documentary evidence to change “Marital Status” on a CNIC after the husband’s death should be relaxed. Furthermore, dedicated priority counters should be set up for widows at NADRA Executive Centers to issue these updated identity cards completely free of cost.
Immediate Launch of “Interim Relief” Upon Application:
During the lengthy procedural delays involved in the final approval of any welfare scheme or government stipend, an “Interim Relief” consisting of at least three months of free rations or cash assistance should be initiated as soon as the application is submitted. This will prevent widows and their children from facing starvation while files move through various official and bureaucratic stages.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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