24 July 2004	Saturday	06 Jamadi-us-Saani 1425

KARACHI, July 23: The Sindh Zakat Council has been tasked to disburse over Rs2 billion among the needy in the current financial year. "The number of people who receive zakat funds, which were Rs600 million only a couple of years ago, has risen to 400,000 in Sindh.

The Provincial Zakat Department also has a computerized record of the recipients," a high-ranking official of the Sindh government said.

The federal government disbursed zakat funds worth Rs7.9 billion in 2002-2001, Rs2.8 billion in 2001-2000 and Rs2.1 billion in 2000-1999. It collected an amount of Rs3.9 billion in 2002-2001, Rs4.2 billion in 2001-2000 and Rs4.2 billion in 2000-1999.

Sindh religious affairs secretary Fasihuddin Khan told Dawn that all over Sindh at least 8,000 local zakat councils determined who deserved to be given zakat. "There is a well-defined procedure whereby the local zakat councils find out who should be recipient of the zakat funds disbursed by the provincial zakat council.

The religious affairs and auqaf department of the Sindh government merely disburses zakat," he explained. The Sindh religious affairs and auqaf secretary, who is chief administrator zakat by virtue of his post, said that the Provincial Zakat Council was headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali of the Sindh High Court.

The Sindh High Court recently advised the governor to appoint a chief executive officer or secretary for the council as provided by the relevant ordinance. Disposing of a writ petition against the replacement of the zakat council, headed by Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, a division bench of the Sindh High Court noted that no notification for the appointment of a chief executive officer or secretary had been issued by the provincial governor as required by the Zakat and Ushr Ordinance.

Mr Khan explained that in addition to disbursement of zakat, his department also gave Guzara allowance to the needy under a special rehabilitation package. He added that payments were made by cheque in open kutcheries under the supervision of the district government.

He said that funds were also sanctioned from the zakat fund for the marriage expenses of poor women. He added that while there was no provision for the grant of Qarz-i-Hasna, the religious affairs department gave scholarships to students, especially those acquiring technical education. He said that religious madressahs and hospitals also received zakat funds from the provincial religious affairs and auqaf department.