January 4, 2002	Friday	Shawwal 19, 1422

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LARKANA, Jan 3: At least a dozen chairmen of the Zakat Committees, Larkana District, have been suspended due to providing Zakat funds to their favourites.

The chairman, District Zakat Committee, suspended these chairmen and initiated inquiries against them after being asked to deposit the undistributed amount at the district office immediately, sources told this correspondent on Thursday.

The names of the chairmen suspended are Zafar Ali Khoso, Bashir Ahmed Khoso, Ali Bakhsh Unnar, Ubedullah Khoso, M. Ali Gopang, Murtaza Khoso, Lalidino Jatoi, Imtiaz Mahiser, Ghulam Sarwar, Nisar Ahmed Chandio, Nisar Ahmed, and Abdul Sattar Janveri.

Tarique Dayo, the district Zakat officer, told this correspondent that several people had complained to the District Zakat Committee that they had not only embezzled Zakat funds but had also distributed it amongst their relatives and favouritism counted much for receiving Zakat.

He said that some of the chairmen had even ‘distributed’ Zakat funds in the name of people who were already dead.

The district and Taluka chairmen have started probing and within a couple of weeks cases against the suspended chairmen would be referred to the Anti-Corrpution Establishment.

In the meantime the chairmen have been strictly asked to deposit the ‘undistributed’ money at the district office.

PMA: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA), Larkana, held a demonstration on Thursday against the district coordination officer, Sukkur, for misusing his powers.

It demanded the government to immediately suspend him.

The protesters were led by Dr Ikram Tunio, president, PMA, Larkana.

They marched on the main roads of the city finally stopping at Jinnahbagh. They staged a sit-in outside the district assembly hall. They criticized the DCO, Sukkur, for interfering in the affairs of the Civil Hospital Sukkur and creating misunderstanding amongst the health officials.