BY AJMAL BHATTI
TAXILA: The local administration has set up free dastarkhwans at three locations in Taxila to provide daily meals to hundreds of underprivileged citizens during the holy month of Ramadan. The initiative is aimed at supporting labourers, daily-wage workers, patients, and the homeless, offering them relief at iftar time.
The free meal points have been established at Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Taxila, Wah General Hospital, and Municipal Park on Railway Road. Sponsored by local philanthropists and organizations, the program is designed to foster generosity and communal well-being during Ramadan.
Officials said the initiative is particularly benefiting patients and their attendants at hospitals, as well as families and workers who struggle to arrange food at iftar. Each day, hundreds of people are served hygienic, freshly prepared meals, reinforcing a spirit of compassion and solidarity in the community.
During a visit to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital dastarkhwan, Assistant Commissioner Maria Javaid and Municipal Committee Chief Officer Gulshan Noreen joined citizens in breaking the fast. “We are here to ensure that good quality meals are provided and to show equality so people feel welcome at these free meal points,” Javaid said. She added that patients, attendants, labourers, bike riders, taxi drivers, and others rely on the initiative to break their fast.
Beneficiaries described the program as a blessing. Ghulam Mustafa, attending a patient at Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, said arranging food during fasting hours was difficult as restaurants remained closed. “The free dastarkhwan is a blessing for us. It shows the administration is thinking about poor people,” he said. Naeem Ahmed, whose relative is admitted at Wah General Hospital, said the facility provides both food and emotional comfort. Another visitor, Kiran Shaheen, said the initiative eased her worries while caring for her sick child, allowing her to break the fast peacefully without searching for expensive food outside.
Local residents noted that the program has strengthened community ties and highlighted the administration’s efforts to support vulnerable groups during Ramadan.
