Punjab CM exempts Sikh community from helmet rule

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has exempted members of the Sikh community from the requirement to wear helmets while riding motorcycles and announced an increase in the number of Minority Cards from 75,000 to 100,000.

Addressing a Christmas ceremony at the Cathedral Church, the chief minister said the exemption had been granted because Sikhs wear turbans, which makes wearing a helmet difficult.

She said Punjab was a province that truly treated minorities with respect, adding that the success of any government should be judged by how safe and protected its minorities feel. She warned that anyone who harmed minorities or violated their rights would face the full force of the state.

Maryam Nawaz also extended Christmas greetings to the Christian community and directed officials to take immediate steps to resolve issues related to graveyards for minorities across Punjab.

She said an inclusive and minority-friendly Punjab should be a shared dream of all citizens, stressing that Muslims, as the majority, carried a greater responsibility in this regard.

Referring to Christmas celebrations across cities, she noted that streets had been decorated, “Merry Christmas” messages displayed, and a large Christmas tree and Santa Claus installed at Liberty Chowk.

Quoting a saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), she said that anyone who wronged minorities would be held accountable.

She added that government welfare programmes, including the Dhee Rani programme, ration cards, Honhaar scholarships and the Kisan Card, were offered without discrimination on the basis of religion.