June 13, 2002	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1423

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SANGHAR, June 12: The Director of Baitul Maal, Islamabad, Mir Ahmed Khan, visited this district to conduct an investigation into the alleged embezzlement in the funds provided by the institution.

Mr Khan attended the Wednesday session of the District Council at which the issue of Zakat and Baitul Maal was on the agenda.

The Zila Nazim, Roshan Din Junejo, informed the session that there were about 16,500 beneficiaries of the funds who were registered under the food support programme.

He said that around 10,000 beneficiaries were unaccounted for and till now regarded as ‘ghost beneficiaries’.

Mr Junejo pointed out that embezzlement in the funds had been made possible due to several reasons one of which being the exemption to women in furnishing their photograph for record. It was quite easy for the unscrupulous people to draw the share of a non-existing woman, he said adding that 70 to 80 per cent of the funds’ recipients appeared to be women.

Mr Junejo maintained that there were cases where a person used to obtain Zakat for more than five times.

Nazims of different Union Councils and many other members of the District Council told the House that more than 90 per cent of Zakat and Baitul Maal funds were being misappropriated.

Choudhry Abid Farooq said that in his Union Council, there were 800 beneficiaries but only 291 had submitted their forms so far for a verification. Only about 100 appeared to be genuine cases, he added.

The Nazim of Phuladiyoon, had brought a complete file to prove before the house that the funds were being embezzled.

The House decided that Zakat and Baitul Maal funds would be disbursed only after revision and re-verification of the lists of deserving people. It also decided that the list would have to be approved by the two-third majority of the UC members before it could be presented to the local Zakat and Ushr committees.

The Zila Council approved the decision unanimously.

10 ARRESTED: The district police on Tuesday arrested 10 suspects in a crackdown against criminals. Khahi police arrested Ghulam Hussain, an absconder in a murder case while Khipro, Shahdadpur and Tando Adam police picked up Dahio, Siddique, Fareed, Din Muhammad, Manzoor, Mir Muhammad, Phul Machhi, Nawaz and Dost Machhi.