Dhee Rani Program: Empowering Punjab’s Daughters with Dignity and Hope

By: Asia Bashir

In our society, weddings often stir mixed emotions. There’s joy in the air, but behind many smiling faces are parents silently calculating costs, worrying about dowry lists, and thinking of the loans they might have to take. For such families, Punjab Dhee Rani Program-a Collective Marriages Program under the Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Department-has arrived as a breath of relief, a promise that their daughters, too, can step into married life with dignity.

Launched by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the initiative has already changed thousands of lives. In its first two phases, around 3,000 collective marriages were organized at the district level, each phase inaugurated with a heartwarming ceremony in Lahore. Now, the third phase aims even higher — to support 5,000+ daughters across the province. Each of these ceremonies is not just an event; it’s a celebration of compassion, equality, and inclusion.

Under the program, every bride receives Rs. 2 lac Salami (Gift) via Bank of Punjab ATM Card — a direct, dignified form of support that gives young women the independence to manage their wedding needs themselves. Priority has been given to orphans and daughters of persons with disabilities, ensuring that the help reaches those who have faced the hardest circumstances. The applications, received through cmp.punjab.gov.pk portal were carefully verified by Tehsil Verification Committees (TVCs), adding credibility and fairness to the process.

Visit one of these district-level collective weddings, and you’ll see the difference this program makes. Rows of brides in colorful dresses, families shedding tears of joy, volunteers helping with arrangements — and among them, the reassuring presence of Minister for Social Welfare& Bait-ul-Maal Punjab Sohail Shoukat Butt, personally supervising the events. His participation gives each ceremony a human touch, bridging the gap between government and the people it serves.

Behind this success stands a dedicated team. Secretary Social Welfare& Bait-ul Maal Department Javed Akhtar Mahmood and DG Social Welfare Tariq Qureshi deserve praise for steering the program with sincerity and efficiency. Their coordination ensured that what could have been just another welfare scheme became a well-organized, transparent, and heartfelt initiative that reached every district with the same spirit of care.

But beyond policy and planning, the true power of the Dhee Rani Program lies in the stories it creates. A father in Bahawalpur who once feared he could never afford his daughter’s wedding now stands proudly beside her. A young woman from a modest home in jhang, once unsure if her big day would ever come, now holds her ATM card with quiet confidence — a symbol that she matters. Each story is a thread in the larger fabric of Punjab’s social compassion.

In a society where daughters are too often viewed as a financial responsibility, this program reshapes the narrative. It reminds every family that a daughter is not a burden — she is a Dhee Rani, a valued and respected member of her home and community. And when a government recognizes that, it does more than extend financial assistance; it restores dignity, eases anxieties, and strengthens the bond of trust between citizens and the state.

As Punjab moves forward, Dhee Rani Program stands as a reminder that true welfare is not measured only in rupees — it is measured in relief, in smiles, and in the quiet prayers of grateful parents. It’s a testament to what happens when governance is guided by empathy. In every bride’s smile and every father’s tear of gratitude, you can see a new Punjab taking shape — one where compassion, not class, defines celebration.

About the Writer:

Asia Bashir is currently serving as the Deputy Director (Women Development) at Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal Department, Punjab. She can be reached at asia.bashir1971@gmail.com.