Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that Quaid-e-Azam’s Pakistan belongs to all its citizens, where people of every faith live in safety and freedom.
“We pay tribute to our minority brothers and sisters who have always played an active role in the development and prosperity of our beloved homeland,” she remarked.
In her message on National Minorities Day, the CM described minorities as “a symbol of pride for Pakistani society” and said that there would be no compromise on their honour, dignity, protection, and progress. She added that the Punjab government is fully committed to granting minorities their complete rights in education, development, and welfare.
The CM, highlighting recent achievements, said Punjab has introduced the “Minority Card” for the first time in history, providing quarterly financial assistance of Rs 10,500 to 50,000 beneficiaries, with the number to be increased to 75,000. She noted that Punjab also passed the historic Sikh Marriage Act 2024, granting legal status to ‘Anand Karj,’ and approved the pending Hindu Marriage Act 2017 in 2025.
The CM said the government is ensuring minorities’ access to education, health, and employment. In the current fiscal year, Rs 8 billion have been allocated for development and non-development projects for minority communities. Grants for their religious festivals have been increased from Rs 60 million to Rs 3.66 billion, while funds have been earmarked for the restoration of 40 historic gurdwaras, 25 churches, and five temples. She added that restoration work is underway at the Samadhi of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore, Shri Krishna Temple in Rawalpindi, and the Church of Pakistan. Scholarship funds worth Rs 60 million have been allocated for minority students.
The CM also shared that live vocational courses have been launched in Youhanabad, with 1,000 students benefiting in the first phase and 10,000 in the second. She noted that for the first time, Punjab officially celebrated Baisakhi, Holi, Diwali, Christmas, and Easter. The minority quota system, she assured, is being implemented in letter and spirit. “The Punjab government stands as a guardian of minority rights and is committed to ensuring their rightful share in every field of progress,” she vowed. “We are building a society where love, tolerance, and brotherhood define our identity. Minorities are the beautiful colours of Pakistan, and we will never let these colours fade.”