CM Punjab Minority Card: Rs 10,500 a quarter, who qualifies and how verification works

The CM Punjab Minority Card pays Rs 10,500 every three months (Rs 42,000 a year) to poor non-Muslim families in Punjab, such as Christian, Hindu and Sikh households. You qualify if your family’s PMT poverty score is 45 or below. The money comes by Bank of Punjab card or bank transfer. The quota is 75,000 cards (May 2025), and as of 24 October 2026 we found no open registration window.

Who is eligible for the CM Punjab Minority Card?

Poor families from Punjab’s religious minorities. Dawn reported in March 2025 that families with a PMT score of 45 or below qualify. PMT is the poverty score from the government’s household survey.

The cards are for the family, not each person. Punjab’s minorities minister, Ramesh Singh Arora, said in December 2024 that women should be included on an equal footing.

How much does the Minority Card pay, and when?

Rs 10,500 every three months. The minister announced the amount in October 2024, and Dawn confirmed it in a Rawalpindi report in March 2026. The money arrives by a digital card or bank transfer, with the Bank of Punjab handling payment.

We found no official payment calendar. The card cost Rs 3 billion in 2025-26, APP reported from the June 2026 Punjab budget.

How do I register for the Minority Card?

Cards have been issued in phases. We couldn’t open the Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department’s website or any Minority Card portal on 24 October 2026, so we can’t confirm a current online form.

What news reports show about earlier rounds:

• Applications were collected district by district. In Gujranwala, 5,454 families applied in the first round and 5,117 were found eligible, Dawn reported in March 2025.
• Churches and community groups helped people apply. The Diocese of Lahore helped thousands of poor Christian families register, Christian Daily reported in January 2025.
• A digital application was ordered in May 2025 to keep data on minority families, Aaj News reported.

What is DC verification for the Minority Card?

The deputy commissioner (DC) of each district runs the checking. In December 2024 the Human Rights Secretary told every DC to name a focal person and supervise each stage, and verified lists go to the Bank of Punjab, which issues the cards (The Nation).

In Gujranwala, assistant commissioners handed out the cards in each tehsil, Dawn reported. The minister warned in May 2025 that cards would be cancelled for negligence or misconduct.

How many families get the Minority Card?

The first phase had 50,000 cards. In May 2025 the steering committee raised the quota to 75,000, and more than 40,000 families had already been paid, Aaj News reported.

Distribution has continued in 2026. Rawalpindi handed out 850 cards in the first phase and planned about 994 more in the second, Dawn reported on 9 March 2026. We found no newer province-wide figure.

Is Rs 10,500 a quarter enough?

It’s about Rs 3,500 a month. Adeel Rehmat of Pak Mission Society told Christian Daily in January 2025 that the amount is too small to change living conditions for families in low-paid work, and asked for jobs, scholarships or microfinance instead.

What other support can minority families get?

BISP is the federal support programme, separate from Punjab’s cards. For other Punjab support, see the CM Punjab Rashan Card and the Himmat Card for persons with disabilities, or the full CM Punjab schemes list.

More guides: CM Punjab schemes list · BISP 8171 · CM Punjab Rashan Card · Himmat Card · Benazir Taleemi Wazaif