RAWALPINDI, March 30: The National Zakat Council suspended the grant of some health institutions after its misuse came into light, official sources told Dawn here on Saturday.

“Committees have been constituted at provincial level to audit the accounts of various hospitals where irregularities have been pointed out,” the sources said.

“Misappropriation of Zakat funds had been going on since long,” said a source, adding “despite repeated instructions there was virtually no improvement.”

There were several audit objections, therefore, the council had to stop the annual Zakat funds of these hospitals, the sources maintained. “The council has constituted three-member committees for different provinces that would conduct the audit of Zakat funds.”

The committee designated for the Punjab comprises Mufti Ghulam Sarwar Qadri, Dr Sahibzada Sajidur Rehman and Justice Fazal Karim.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that this year the disbursement of Zakat has started late.

The health institutions are provided grant on the basis of beds’ strength. It is almost Rs25 per day per bed.

The hospital sources said due to lack of Zakat disbursement staff in the hospitals, proper utilization of the grant could not be ensured.

As the staff has no signature and stamp samples of the chairmen of Zakat committees, therefore, it is next to impossible for them to establish the authenticity of the Zakat certificates produced by the patients, the sources maintained.