LAHORE: A mass wedding ceremony for 150 deserving couples was held in Lahore under the Punjab government’s Dhee Rani Programme, launched on the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari attended the ceremony as the chief guest. Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Adviser to the Chief Minister Ali Dar also attended as special guests. Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Sohail Shaukat Butt, members of the provincial assembly and relevant government officials were also present.
The ceremony arranged weddings for daughters of deserving families, including orphaned, destitute and differently-abled girls. The participation of 21 minority couples was a beautiful expression of interfaith harmony, religious tolerance and social solidarity. On behalf of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, each bride and groom was presented with a gift of Rs200,000 through ATM cards.
Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said on the occasion the Dhee Rani Programme was a major and commendable welfare initiative of the Punjab government. He expressed his pleasure at attending the ceremony, saying that mass wedding initiatives helped deserving families overcome one of their major financial challenges and enabled them to arrange their daughters’ weddings. He said such welfare measures provided practical support to vulnerable segments of society and helped ease the difficulties faced by financially struggling families.
Addressing the ceremony, Provincial Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari said that children had given Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif the title of ‘Mother’. She said the Chief Minister was a mother, daughter and sister to the people of Punjab and was practically demonstrating motherly affection and care for the province’s daughters.
She said Maryam Nawaz Sharif did not focus solely on development projects but also prioritised public service and welfare. Her initiatives, she added, were aimed at improving people’s lives rather than serving political interests.
Azma Bokhari said that a mother could better understand the problems and needs of the daughters of the nation. Through the Dhee Rani Programme, deserving parents who could not afford the expenses of their daughters’ weddings were being supported in settling their daughters into married life.
She said the Punjab Chief Minister was providing dowry packages and wedding gifts to newly married couples with dignity and respect, enabling them to begin their new lives in a respectable manner.
The provincial minister made it clear that injustice against any woman in Punjab would not be tolerated. Slapping a young girl was no minor offence, she said, adding that being slapped publicly could become a deeply painful experience for a woman for the rest of her life. She stressed that no compromise would be made on the dignity, respect and protection of women.
Azma Bokhari said married life should be built on love, affection, harmony and mutual respect. A husband must respect his wife, just as a wife should respect her husband. She observed that those who worked rapidly for the public good often attracted more opponents, but people committed to public service were not deterred by falsehoods and propaganda.
Adviser to the Chief Minister Ali Dar said Maryam Nawaz Sharif had extended a motherly hand of care and support to the daughters of Punjab. Through the Dhee Rani Programme, the government was supporting parents who could not afford the expenses of their daughters’ weddings due to financial constraints.
He said the programme was a practical demonstration of the government’s commitment to sharing the happiness of deserving families and reducing their financial difficulties.
Provincial Minister for Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Sohail Shaukat Butt said the Dhee Rani Programme was continuing successfully under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, with its benefits reaching ordinary citizens.
He said that 8,000 deserving couples had been married collectively under the programme during the past two years. For the current financial year, the Punjab government had set a target of arranging 5,000 mass weddings across all districts of the province.
He said the government was committed to sharing the happiness of deserving families and helping them overcome financial challenges.
The joy and satisfaction of the brides, grooms and their families were evident throughout the ceremony. Parents expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the Punjab government for helping them fulfil their dream of arranging their daughters’ weddings despite financial difficulties.
Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, provincial ministers and other distinguished guests visited the seating areas of the newly married couples and their families, congratulated them, presented gift cards and inquired about their experiences.
Secretary Social Welfare Saira Umar, Director General Social Welfare Dr Shahenshah Faisal Azeem, along with other officers and staff members of the Social Welfare Department, were also present.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026