LOWER DIR: Local workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Lower Dir have demanded transparency in the distribution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s Ramazan relief package, saying the assistance is drawn from the public Zakat fund and is meant solely for deserving people.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, PML-N workers including Syed Kabir Bacha and Javed Tajik said that according to the official notification the package had been fully financed through the Zakat fund. Therefore, as per law and Shariah, only those eligible for Zakat were entitled to receive the assistance.

They urged well-off individuals to refrain from receiving the package, stressing that it was meant for poor, needy and lower middle-class families. The workers also called upon citizens to help ensure that Zakat funds reached genuine beneficiaries in a transparent manner.

The statement came after an alleged audio message attributed to PTI lawmaker Malik Liaqat Ali went viral on social media. In the clip, he is purportedly heard asking party workers to ensure that their own workers were included first in the list of beneficiaries.

The PML-N workers warned that they would not remain silent if any irregularity or political favouritism was detected in the distribution process. They said a complete record would be sought and beneficiary lists scrutinised through the relevant authorities. In case corruption or injustice was proved, the responsibility would rest with the deputy commissioner concerned, they added.

They further said the matter would be raised on the party platform and on the floor of the provincial assembly. MPA Sobia Khan would soon submit a privilege motion over the issue, they said, reiterating their resolve to pursue constitutional and legal avenues to safeguard public rights.

Meanwhile, similar concerns have surfaced in Jandol subdivision after another audio clip, allegedly of Ubaidur Rehman, PTI MPA from Jandol and chairman of the District Development Advisory Committee, began circulating online.

He is purportedly heard directing party workers to carefully prepare lists of 150 individuals from each village council to avoid controversy similar to that of last year. In the same message, however, he is also heard emphasising that the assistance is meant for deserving and poor people, instructing workers to select genuinely needy individuals, even if they belonged to opposition parties.

Local political and social figures say that preparing fresh lists at the village council level could sideline deserving families. The controversy has sparked debate in the district, with opposition groups alleging favouritism, while PTI representatives maintain that the package is strictly intended for deserving segments of society and deny any wrongdoing.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2026