Pakistan, June 22 -- The true test of democratic governance lies not in how effectively it serves the privileged, but in how compassionately it reaches those who have historically remained on the margins of society. Since assuming office in Feb 2024, Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly emphasised that the benefits of development must extend to every citizen, particularly those who have long remained excluded from mainstream economic and social opportunities. Over the past two years, this vision has translated into a series of welfare and empowerment initiatives targeting persons with disabilities, transgender individuals and non-Muslim communities.

That commitment received fresh expression yesterday when the speci...