Punjab Marriage Grant for Poor Girls: Bait-ul-Maal, Zakat and Auqaf Jahez Fund Compared

A father in Okara has a nikah date fixed and Rs 60,000 short. He has heard of a "government jahez scheme" but does not know which office runs it. In fact there are three, run by three different departments, and each has its own form, its own committee and its own rules on who is turned away.

We read all three departments' own pages on 8 November 2026: the Punjab Bait-ul-Maal marriage grant page, the Zakat and Ushr Department's Marriage Assistance page and the Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department's Jahez page. This guide puts them side by side so you can pick the right door first. We did not apply for a grant ourselves.

Punjab marriage grants side by side

Bait-ul-Maal pays the most, up to Rs 100,000 per daughter, and is the only one with an online form. Zakat pays a flat Rs 50,000 to a mobile wallet. The Auqaf Jahez Fund is a small yearly pool split across ten zones, so treat it as a backup.

Two other schemes are often confused with these. A factory or shop worker registered with the Punjab Workers Welfare Fund has a separate workers' marriage grant in Punjab, paid through the employer route. A widow can also look at the CM Punjab Rahmat Card, which is a widow and orphan grant, not a marriage grant.

Bait-ul-Maal pays up to Rs 100,000 per daughter

Punjab Bait-ul-Maal's marriage grant has an upper limit of Rs 100,000 per family per daughter. Its District Bait-ul-Maal Committee decides each case for families below the poverty line, with widows and orphan girls first.

The department's own page sets these rules:

• The applicant must live below the poverty level. The committee of the district of permanent residence decides eligibility.
• Poor parents who cannot pay for a daughter's marriage qualify.
• Priority goes to widows, poor guardians of orphan girls and destitute parents.
• If the nikah has already happened, the family can still apply by showing the Nikah Nama within 90 days.

That 90 day rule matters. A family that held a simple nikah first is not shut out, but the clock starts on the nikah date. Keep the registered Nikah Nama safe. If you do not have a printed copy yet, you can get a marriage certificate at an e-Khidmat Markaz.

Our longer guide to Punjab Bait-ul-Maal online registration covers the account, the form and the other three kinds of Bait-ul-Maal help.

Zakat Marriage Assistance is Rs 50,000 to a mobile wallet

The Zakat and Ushr Department's Marriage Assistance pays Rs 50,000 through a mobile wallet. Any poor, needy and deserving woman, or her parent or guardian, applies to the Local Zakat and Ushr Committee of the area.

The process on the department's page runs in this order:

1. Download the Marriage Assistance form, Urdu or English, from zakat.punjab.gov.pk, or get it from the committee.
2. Take it to the Chairman or Administrator of your Local Zakat and Ushr Committee.
3. The local committee decides whether you are mustahiq (entitled to zakat). It can also reject the case.
4. An approved case goes to the District Zakat and Ushr Committee, which releases the money.
5. Payment arrives by branchless banking, so the mobile number must be in the applicant's own name.

Zakat money can only go to a Muslim who is entitled to it under Shariah. The committee is local, often run from a mosque or union council. Ask at your union council if you do not know who chairs it. Our guide to Punjab Zakat assistance lists the other Zakat grants and the same committee route.

The Auqaf Jahez Fund is a small pool split by zone

The Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department gives its Jahez Fund to deserving people through its Zonal Administrators. Its page lists the yearly pool by zone, with Rs 19.2 million for Data Darbar and Rs 1.8 million for each of nine other zones.

Those zone figures add up to Rs 35.4 million. That is our own sum of the listed figures. The page does not say how much one family gets, what papers are needed or when the pool runs out. Contact the Zonal Administrator for your zone, or the Auqaf head office at Aiwan-e-Auqaf, Shah Chiragh Building, The Mall, Lahore, on 042-99210872.

One family should not expect two grants

Bait-ul-Maal's rule for its one-time cash aid bars people already getting Zakat or Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal help. Zakat's rules for its monthly Rashan Card bar people paid by other public bodies. Neither marriage page says the same in so many words, but expect the committee to ask. So choose one scheme first, usually Bait-ul-Maal for the higher limit.

Apply where your case is strongest:

• Widow or orphan girl: Bait-ul-Maal names both as its first priority.
• Nikah already done: Bait-ul-Maal, inside 90 days, with the Nikah Nama.
• Known to your mosque or union council committee: Zakat, because the local committee decides.
• Living near Data Darbar or a shrine zone office: ask Auqaf as well, since its biggest pool is there.

Many committees check the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER) when they judge poverty. Registering your household there first can help your case.

Papers to carry for any Punjab marriage grant

Every scheme starts with the applicant's valid CNIC and a mobile number registered in that same CNIC. Add the daughter's CNIC or B-Form, the Nikah Nama if the nikah is done, and proof of the family's situation.

• Original CNIC of the applicant, plus a copy.
• CNIC or B-Form of the daughter.
• Death certificate of the father, for a widow or orphan case.
• Registered Nikah Nama, if the nikah has already happened.
• A SIM in the applicant's own name, for wallet payment.

Nobody should charge you for these forms. All three departments list free forms or free applications. If an agent asks for money to "pass" your case, refuse and report it to the department's helpline or the Punjab Social Protection Authority list of programmes for other help.

Common questions

How much is the Punjab government marriage grant?

It depends on the scheme. Punjab Bait-ul-Maal gives up to Rs 100,000 per daughter. Zakat Marriage Assistance is Rs 50,000. The Auqaf Jahez Fund page states no amount per family.

Can I apply for the Bait-ul-Maal marriage grant online?

Yes. Bait-ul-Maal's page names bm.punjab.gov.pk and its mobile app. You can also visit the Bait-ul-Maal committee office, where staff will submit the form for you.

Can I apply after the nikah?

For Bait-ul-Maal, yes. Its page says a daughter whose nikah has been held can still get help if the Nikah Nama is shown within 90 days.

Who decides the Zakat marriage grant?

Your Local Zakat and Ushr Committee decides whether you are entitled. The District Zakat and Ushr Committee then releases the Rs 50,000 by branchless banking.

Is there a form fee for these grants?

No department page lists any fee. The Zakat form downloads free from zakat.punjab.gov.pk, and Bait-ul-Maal staff fill the form at no charge.

Can a non-Muslim family get these grants?

Zakat money goes only to Muslims entitled under Shariah. Bait-ul-Maal's marriage page sets poverty rules and does not name religion, so a non-Muslim family should apply there.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 8 November 2026. The Bait-ul-Maal limit, 90 day Nikah Nama rule, priorities and online route are from the Punjab Bait-ul-Maal marriage grant page. The Rs 50,000 rate, wallet payment and committee steps are from the Zakat and Ushr Department Marriage Assistance page. The zone figures and Zonal Administrator route are from the Auqaf Department Jahez page. None of the pages shows a date of last change, so ask the office to confirm the amount before you rely on it.