QUETTA: Some 75 couples, who could not afford to arrange their wedding, tied the knot at a ceremony held at the Balochistan Scouts Association Headquarters on Saturday.

The fund for the ceremony was provided by Chief Minister Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, who announced that the authorities would continue to facilitate the poor in this regard.

The ceremony, which was arranged by the social welfare department, was attended by Mr Bizenjo, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Social Welfare, Shahzad Saleh Bhootani, and other officials.

On the occasion, Mr Bizenjo gave Rs100,000 in cash as a gift to each couple and assured them that he would extend his support to others who could not afford to arrange a wedding.

“Hundreds of girls and boys are not able to get married as their parents have no money to bear huge expenditures of the wedding,” he said, adding that the government had planned to arrange marriages for 100 couples under the current budget. Out of the 100 couples, 25 belonged to Nasirabad division, he added.

The chief minister said the provincial government would provide Rs200,000 to each couple.

The couples were also given necessary items and gold armaments on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2018