RAWALPINDI, Jan 14: Federal Minister of Information and Media Development Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Tuesday asked the chairmen of the local Zakat committees to distribute Zakat among the deserving people by rising above political affiliations.

He said this while distributing Zakat cheques under the permanent rehabilitation scheme at Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club here. The chairman of the district Zakat committee, Mohammad Anwar, was also present on the occasion. About 200 cheques for Rs15,000, Rs20,000 and Rs23,000 worth Rs4.2 million were distributed among the people.

Sheikh Rashid said service to deserving people was real worship, as Islam laid special emphasis on the welfare of poor and downtrodden segments of the society. The minister said their politics was not meant to get political mileage out of people welfare schemes but to serve them rising above all affiliations and prejudices.

He also announced setting up two soup houses, one each in the cantonment and in the city to serve poor people and those coming to the city from the other parts of the country in search of jobs.

Later, talking to this reporter after the end of the Zakat distribution ceremony, a number of chairmen of the local Zakat committees and the deserving people said the distribution of the Zakat cheques in public was meant to get political mileage at the cost of humiliating poor but respectable families.

Most of the deserving people expressed their profound resentment at disclosing their identity. These people said they needed Zakat but not at the cost of making their names public. A woman, who received a cheque, said Islam laid great stress on distribution of Zakat through hidden means and not distributing it in the public.

Another man said:” I have four young daughters, but who will marry them after my identity had been disclosed.” An old man said distribution of Zakat cheques in full media glare had damaged them beyond repair. He asked the officials to at least differentiate between the deserving families and the beggars who feel no qualms about stretching their hands to everyone.