Punjab CM launches ‘Rahmat Card’ program for widows & orphans

Maryam Nawaz Sharif has officially launched the “CM Punjab Rahmat Card” program

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has officially launched the “CM Punjab Rahmat Card” program, a new initiative to provide financial support to widows and orphaned children across the province.

The program was inaugurated digitally, and Rs5 billion has been allocated from the provincial Zakat Fund. Under this scheme, 50,000 widows and orphaned children will each receive Rs100,000 as financial assistance.

Only Shariah-eligible Muslim widows and orphaned children who qualify for Zakat will be included in the program, while government employees, pensioners, and Sahib-e-Nisab individuals will not be eligible. Applications can be submitted through the official web portal (https://rahmatcard.punjab.gov.pk), and more details are available via helpline 1077.

Beneficiaries will be selected through the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry based on district quotas. If someone is not registered in PSER, their data will be verified through NADRA.

The financial aid will be given through JazzCash wallet accounts, and the government will cover all service charges as directed by the Chief Minister.

Special Assistant Rashid Iqbal Nasrullah briefed the Chief Minister about the program. She directed that the scheme must be implemented in a transparent and fair way to ensure proper use of Zakat funds. She said the goal of the “CM Punjab Rahmat Card” program is to promote dignity and economic support for deserving people.

She added that the initiative has been launched under the guidance of Nawaz Sharif and expressed her commitment to expanding such welfare programs. The Chief Minister said she wants to ensure that no widow or orphan in Punjab feels helpless or unsupported, adding that the government focuses on public service rather than traditional politics.