TAXILA: Extreme poverty, rising unemployment and inflation have hurt people like us, says Zareena Bibi, a widow and housemaid living in a village near Taxila.

“Due to the situation, marrying off my daughter had become a distant dream for me as I have no bread earner. But at this crucial moment, Minhaj Welfare Foundation (MWF) came to our rescue and today my daughter is getting married,” she said.

As many as 12 couples, belonging to the underprivileged segment of society, tied the knot at a mass marriage ceremony organised by MWF Taxila chapter at a local hotel near Wah on Sunday.

MWF Pakistan’s chief patron and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur chaired the ceremony

It was the 12th consecutive mass marriage ceremony organised by foundation’s Taxila chapter. The organisers said so far 133 couples had solemnied their marriages under the arrangements made by the MWF.

So far, 133 couples have solemnised their marriages under arrangements made by MWF, say organisers

During the ceremony, each bride was given household stuff worth over Rs450,000. The items consisted of a copy of the holy Quran, a prayer mat, cupboard, bed, chairs, table, briefcase, sewing machine, washing machine, fan, iron, clock, utensils, dinner set, tea set, mattress and make-up items. The grooms and their entourage were welcomed by a musical band and a shower of flower petals during the ceremony.

Food had also been arranged for the guests who attended the ceremony.

Apart from the couples’ family members, PAT local leaders, leaders from various political parties, notables and social workers also attended the ceremony.

Talking to newsmen, Ihtisham Ali said, “I belong to a poor family and earn my livelihood by operating a donkey cart. Whatever I earn after the hard labour of the day is insufficient to feed a family of eight.”

He said in these circumstances it was almost impossible for him to even think about marriage. Thanking the MWF, he said, “Today I am getting married and am hopeful that my bride will change my fate for the better”.

One of the brides, Fatima Bibi, said she was the eldest of five sisters and that her father had passed away.

“My mother was always worried about my future as we do not have a brother,” she stated.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gandapur said an attitude of perseverance with regard to performance of good deeds enables one to undertake the mission of reforming the society. He said the process of internal purification exposes man to the reality of servitude. He said it was the duty of everyone of us to distribute happiness among people because eliminating poverty, backwardness and ignorance was a prophetic tradition.

Director operations of the foundation, Engr Sanaullah Khan, underlined the need for promoting philanthropy in the society. He said at a time when challenges of poverty, inequality, unemployment and backwardness were grim realities of our times it was the individual and collective responsibility of those who can afford to try to mitigate sufferings of the poor people.

The foundation’s patron for the Rawalpindi chapter, Sagheer Ahmed, said MWF had been in the forefronts of efforts to ease the pain of the downtrodden and less privileged sections of society through a number of welfare activities.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2023