Every Household Matters, Every Daughter Matters: SHUMAR Programme Launched at Lahore College for Women University

LAHORE: The SHUMAR programme, an initiative under the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry (PSER), a flagship social development initiative of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, was launched at Lahore College for Women University (LCWU). The programme aims to strengthen coordination between academic institutions and the government, and promote evidence-based policymaking to better address public needs.
A seminar titled “The Importance of Reliable Data for Inclusive Development” was organised by the Department of Economics at Iqra Auditorium under the patronage of LCWU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Uzma Qureshi.
In her welcome address, Prof. Qureshi said LCWU had always played an important role in promoting women’s education and leadership. She said it was a matter of pride for the university that Punjab’s first woman chief minister, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, was also an alumna of the institution. She welcomed the launch of the initiative, saying it would provide female students with an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into government programmes, research and policymaking.
PSER Project Director Qamar Zaman Qaisrani delivered a special presentation titled “The Real Picture of Punjab: From Counting Households to Understanding Their Circumstances.” He said government departments had previously relied on incomplete or outdated public records, creating difficulties in ensuring that assistance reached deserving people. He said the registry was compiling comprehensive socioeconomic data on households across Punjab to ensure transparent distribution of government assistance, subsidies and other facilities. He encouraged students to use the data for research and propose solutions to public issues, adding that future subsidies would also be linked to the registry.
Department of Economics Chairman Prof. Dr. Muhammad Afzal said that reliable data was essential for economic research and effective planning. PSER Advocacy Specialist Saad A Sheikh described the registry as a digital system supporting government welfare programmes through data-driven planning.
The event concluded with an “Ask the Registry” session, where faculty members and students discussed the registry’s procedures and applications. Prof Qureshi thanked the organisers and participants, stressing that government-university collaboration was vital for research, effective policymaking and public welfare.