Livestock Department distributes animals among 96 widows, divorcees

RAJANPUR - The Punjab Livestock Department distributed free large female animals among 96 deserving widows and divorced women in tehsil Jampur on Wednesday. Parliamentary Secretary for Livestock Sardar Muhammad Asim Sher Mekan, MPA Sardar Sher Afgan Khan Gorchani and Livestock Secretary Ahmad Aziz Tarar handed over the animals at a ceremony. Director General Livestock (Extension) Dr Muhammad Nadeem Badar, DGP Dr Kanwar Naeem, Director Livestock DG Khan Dr Ghulam Nizamuddin, Assistant Commissioner Jampur Shahid Iqbal, Additional Director Livestock Dr Shumaila Khan, representatives of parliamentarians, media persons and officers concerned were also present. Addressing the ceremony, the speakers said the programme, launched from Jampur in line with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif's vision, aims to make deserving widows and divorced women economically independent and create dignified livelihood opportunities for them. LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum inaugurates Judicial Complex in Alipur They said the animals were distributed free of cost through a balloting process, held transparently and strictly on merit, to ensure that government support reached genuinely deserving women. The initiative is meant to support women who face financial hardship after widowhood or divorce and are shouldering the responsibility of providing for their families. The speakers said the provision of animals was not merely financial aid but an effort to give women a permanent source of income. By rearing the animals properly, the beneficiaries would be able to obtain milk and sell it to meet their own and their children's expenses. This would raise household incomes and help them move toward economic self-reliance. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia vow to strengthen bilateral ties They stressed that involving women in economic activity and providing them with dignified employment was the need of the hour. Such steps, they said, could help utilise women's capabilities, improve living standards and strengthen the rural economy. The speakers added that the Punjab government was giving special attention to the development of the agriculture and livestock sectors, as higher milk and meat production was essential for meeting the people's food needs and also created new employment and income opportunities for livestock farmers and the rural population. The livestock sector, they said, played a key role in the national economy. Accidents preventive measures discussed They expressed hope that, with proper care and management of the animals, the beneficiaries would make full use of the scheme. They said the possible increase in the number of animals would further improve the women's economic condition in future. Livestock department officers also briefed the participants on the objectives of the programme and the distribution procedure. At the end of the ceremony, the beneficiary women appreciated the initiative of the Punjab government.