By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A mass wedding ceremony for underprivileged brides was held in Dera Ismail Khan, where 12 deserving couples were married and given gifts.
The annual event, organised by Khidmat Health Foundation Dera, took place at Green Marriage Hall.
The ceremony was attended by DSP City Malik Abid Iqbal as chief guest. He praised the foundation’s efforts, saying that serving humanity was a noble cause and such initiatives deserved encouragement and full support.
Mayor of Tehsil Dera, Umar Amin Gandapur, also appreciated the organisation’s work for underprivileged girls and called its efforts highly commendable. Assistant Commissioner Dera, Syed Arsalan Shah, described the foundation’s services as a matter of pride, noting that it not only arranged marriages but also supported around 100 students in education and assisted patients with medical treatment.
President of the foundation, Anees Raza Qadri, said around 4.5 million rupees had been spent on the ceremony, funded through donations from philanthropists. He said the organisation worked on voluntary service and maintained transparency and accountability for every contribution.
He added that the wedding feast was arranged separately from the mass wedding fund, while volunteers bore their own expenses. He also said two additional couples were included this year and that the organisation aimed to arrange weddings for 15 couples next year with continued donor support.
Earlier, Maulana Muhammad Azam Khan Chishti officiated the marriages and delivered the nikah sermon.
