MUZAFFARABAD, May 30: Fifty couples from Muzaffarabad, which was devastated by the Oct 2005 earthquake, tied the knot on Tuesday at a mass wedding ceremony sponsored by a leading Pakistani construction company.

Governor of Punjab Lt-Gen (rtd) Khalid Maqbool was the chief guest. The ceremony, held on a lawn along the bank of Neelum river, was also attended by the AJK Minister for Religious Affairs Hafiz Hamid Raza, AJK Minister for Social Welfare and Women’s Development Shamim Ali Malick and other officials.

Chosen on the basis of economic needs, each couple received Rs5,000 from Bait-ul-Maal while each bride was given Rs100,000 by the sponsoring company.

Governor Maqbool praised the organisers for their philanthropic act and announced that mass wedding ceremonies would also be held in Bagh and Rawalakot. He said that Kashmiris would benefit from all welfare projects initiated by the Punjab government. He said a gathering of skilled labour was being planned where each youth would be given Rs20,000.