Crisis leaves thousands of widows, patients and poor families without financial support
RAWALPINDI:
Due to severe economic and financial crisis, the Zakat department in Rawalpindi has failed to provide financial assistance to deserving beneficiaries for the last 10 months. This year, no Eid gifts were distributed during Eidul Fitr, and there are fears that help will not be provided during Eidul Azha either.
According to sources, the government has not released a single penny to the Rawalpindi Zakat Board during this period. Due to the apathy and lack of interest of the authorities, the structure of the Zakat department has effectively collapsed in Rawalpindi division and the province. District Zakat committees have not been properly constituted in the last three years and Rawalpindi currently does not have a district chairman. At the union council level, the district’s 1,166 local Zakat committees have remained dissolved for the past three years and are headed by administrators on a daily wage basis.
To support widows and others in need, the department has reportedly started soliciting donations from philanthropists and traders. The funds collected are used to help the most deserving families. However, for almost a year, the families of lepers and the visually impaired in the area have not received any financial assistance.
The suspension of Zakat funds has also disrupted medical services in the district’s main public hospitals, including surgeries, eye operations and kidney dialysis for Zakat-eligible patients. As a result, several seriously ill patients reportedly lost their lives. Educational allowances for children from deserving families have also not been paid, forcing many students to abandon their studies for non-payment of tuition fees.
Earlier, around 10,000 poor families, including widows and orphans, received monthly assistance of Rs 2,000-3,000, which has now completely stopped.
One widow, Razia Bibi, said she had been going to the Zakat office for 10 months, but was sent back each time with assurances of payment “next month”. She added that her travel expenses now exceed the amount she was supposed to receive, leaving her with no choice but to beg to survive.
An official of the Rawalpindi Zakat Board said the funds are expected to be released through Eidul Azha, after which all pending dues will be cleared.
