KARACHI, Oct 5: Various zakat collecting bodies have given mixed views over zakat donation figures this year.

The Edhi Foundation says its collection figures have remained stagnant during the last five to six years and did not show any substantial increase.

The Alamgir Welfare Trust says zakat collection this year is almost the same as in the previous year.

Officials in the zakat collection organisations, run by political parties, have also offered mixed views.

While the Jamat-i-Islami complains of a 40 per cent drop in zakat collections in the first 22 days of the holy month as compared with same period last year, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) without giving any figures claimed substantial increase in the zakat collection proceeds by the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation.

The Al-Khidmat Welfare Society’s general secretary, Dr Tubasum Jafri, said the organisation sets a collection target of Rs10 million every year for Karachi, but so far they have collected only Rs6 million, a drop of 40pc. Last year the organisation had almost achieved the target.

He said zakat can be given the whole year, but 70 to 80 per cent people prefer giving zakat in Ramazan.

Dr Tabassum said country’s political conditions might have caused some decline in zakat collection.

He pointed out that the number of zakat collecting organisations had increased, and secondly people were preferring giving zakat to individuals instead of handing it over to organisations. The Al Khidmat gets zakat from people of various walks of life, but major contribution comes from the elite class.

Information bureau in charge of the Edhi Foundation, Anwar Kazmi, said the foundation has been receiving a set pattern of amount every year under zakat collection for the last several years, especially from its old donors.

“Zakat collection has not declined this year, but it is at the standstill,” he said without giving any actual figures.

He said that the Edhi had been spending the amount in taking care of 8,000 homeless people, including children, in meeting their requirement of food, healthcare, medicines and education all over Pakistan at its 17 Edhi Homes.

Besides, a substantial amount is spent on ambulance operation through its 1,250 vehicles.

The foundation also runs 313 welfare centres, two aeroplanes and 32 boats for marine operation. However, he said the ambulance operation was running into loss to the extent of 50 per cent.

The ambulance is charging only Rs50 as transportation cost for long routes which fails to meet the expenditure of the ambulance service.

“Our zakat collection highly depends on middle class instead of big industrialists and businessmen,” Kazmi said, adding increase in the number of zakat collection organisations might have created a diversion among donors.

An office-bearer of the Mutahida Quami Movement (MQM), who looks after zakat collections under the Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation, claimed that collections increased this year as compared with the last year.

Alamgir Welfare Trust’s director administration Rehan Yasin said zakat collection this year was adequate, but it did not show any improvement as compared with the previous year.

The trust, he said, spent some 32.5 million in 2006-2007 on welfare works through the amount received under donations.

He was hopeful that after Oct 1, the figure may improve as salaried class might be donating during the last one week of Ramazan.