Pakistan, May 4 -- In Pakistan, welfare has too often meant waiting. Waiting in long queues outside government offices, waiting for a name to appear on a list that someone else controls, waiting for dignity that never quite arrives. Against this backdrop, the launch of the Chief Minister Punjab Rahmat Card on May 1, 2026, deserves more than routine applause. It deserves an honest assessment.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has initiated what is being described as Punjab's first structured financial assistance program for widows and orphaned children. Backed by a record Rs5 billion allocation from the Provincial Zakat Funds, the program will disburse Rs100,000 each to 50,000 beneficiaries. These are not abstract statistics. Behind each...