LAHORE: The Punjab government has set a target of arranging mass weddings for 5,000 deserving girls under the Dhee Rani Programme during the current fiscal year in phases scheduled to begin from next month.

The Dhee Rani Programme has so far solemnised marriages of some 3,000 deserving girls during 2024-25 financial year and 5,000 deserving girls in 2025-26.

This was explained in a meeting called to review arrangements for the Dhee Rani Programme, including the mechanism for holding mass weddings at the divisional-level during the current financial year.

The meeting, chaired by Punjab Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Minister Sohail Shaukat Butt on Thursday, was informed that applications for participation in the Dhee Rani Programme had been received through the Maryam Ko Batain app. It was said that the applications would be scrutinised and verified, and eligible applicants would subsequently be included in the programme.

The Dhee Rani Programme was launched following approval by the provincial cabinet to facilitate dignified marriages for girls belonging to deserving and low-income families.

Mr Butt directed the department to ensure transparency, merit and effective monitoring at every stage of the programme. He emphasised that the process of selection and verification of beneficiaries, as well as arrangements for the weddings, should be further streamlined to ensure that the benefits of the government initiative reached the genuinely deserving families.

Punjab Social Welfare and Baitul Maal Secretary Saira Umar, Social Welfare Director General Dr Shehenshah Faisal Azim, departmental directors and all divisional directors attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2026