ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, has announced cash cards for minorities and vowed to double the amount for uplifting their places of worship and graveyards, as the country’s Hindu community celebrates Diwali festival today, Thursday. 

Known as the “Festival of Lights,” Diwali is one of the most popular festivals of Hinduism. It is usually observed between mid-October and mid-November and is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity to the community.

At a ceremony held in Lahore to mark Diwali with members of the Hindu community in attendance, Sharif announced a gift of Rs15,000 [$53.98] per family for 1,400 families in Punjab for the occasion. 

“I am also about to announce that with so much interest and dedication, we have come up with the Minority Card,” Sharif said. “I have told them to launch this Minority Card by Dec. 20.”

Sharif said that as per the initiative, underprivileged people among the minorities will be given Rs10,500 [$37.79] per quarter. 

“We are starting this with 50,000 people in Punjab but god willing, next year we will not only increase the number of the beneficiaries, cards and families but also this amount of Rs10,500,” she added. 

Sharif said the provincial government was taking measures to ensure safety of minorities. She announced that a panic button had been installed for members of the minority community in police stations, adding that virtual police stations were also instructed to entertain complaints by minorities apart from women and children. 

Sharif announced that she had also doubled the fund for minorities that would be used for the uplift of their graveyards and places of worship.

According to the latest digital census conducted last year, over 96 percent of Pakistan’s population is Muslim, with the remaining four percent comprising 5.2 million Hindus, 3.3 million Christians, 15,992 Sikhs and others.

Religiously motivated Pakistani ultra-conservative groups have conducted attacks on Pakistani minorities. There have been dozens of instances of mob violence against religious minorities in the South Asian nation in recent years, including an attack on Christians in Jaranwala, a town in Punjab province, where churches, homes and businesses were set ablaze in August 2023. 

In the southern Sindh province, Hindus have frequently complained about forced conversions, particularly of young girls within their community, and attacks on temples.

Pakistan’s governments have repeatedly said guaranteeing the safety of minorities is a top concern and priority for them in the Muslim-majority nation.