PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday launched two card schemes to provide monthly stipend to orphans and widows.

An official statement issued from Chief Minister’s Secretariat said that under Roshan Mustaqbil Card, 9,000 orphaned children up to 16 years of age would receive a monthly stipend of Rs10,000. It said that those children, who had lost both their parents, would be prioritised.

The statement said that Sahara Card was designed to provide financial assistance to widows aged 45 years and above, offering a monthly stipend of Rs10,000. A total of 15,000 widows would receive financial support though the card scheme.

“The funds, under both programmes, will be disbursed by the fifth of each month through designated cards issued to beneficiaries. An IT-based scoring system will be employed to screen and select eligible applicants, ensuring transparency and fairness in the distribution process,” it said.

CM announces electric wheelchairs for physically-challenged students

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the financial assistance programmes, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur said that PTI leadership was committed to establishing a welfare state where the wellbeing of vulnerable segments of society was a top priority.

He stated that caring for the underprivileged was fundamental duty of a welfare state. He added that his government was working tirelessly to fulfil its responsibility.

“Those, who think about the wellbeing of others, are truly great people,” said Mr Gandapur. He added that welfare of marginalised communities remained one of the top priorities of provincial government.

He said that soon after PTI government was formed in the province, a comprehensive data collection initiative was launched to identify and register deserving individuals. He added that based on the data, various welfare programmes were being introduced.

“One of our first steps was to double the Zakat fund to ensure that maximum beneficiaries receive assistance,” said the chief minister.

He announced that a database of special students in government educational institutions was been compiled, and soon, those students would be provided with electric wheelchairs to facilitate their mobility.

Mr Gandapur said that the launch of Roshan Mustaqbil Card and Sahara Card was a continuation of those efforts, aimed at alleviating financial burden on disadvantaged families. He urged well-off individuals to extend their support to those in need, especially during the holy month of Ramazan.

He encouraged people to monitor ongoing development and welfare projects in their respective areas, ensuring that resources were utilised fairly and effectively. “If people unite and actively supervise public works, no one will be able to commit injustice,” he said.

He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to ensuring that rightful beneficiaries received their due share of resources. He urged people to also play their part in helping the needy, emphasising that through collective efforts, a prosperous and welfare-oriented society could be established.

The ceremony was also attended by Provincial Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah, the secretary of social welfare department, Syed Nazar Hussain Shah, and other relevant officials besides orphans and widows.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2025