ISLAMABAD, April 27: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has asked Pakistan Baitul Mal to focus on facilitating the marginalised and vulnerable sections of society through programmes related to medical treatment, education, food support and self-employment.
While presiding over a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s House on Thursday to review the performance of Pakistan Baitul Mal, he directed the institution to study the effectiveness of its programmes and focus only on the areas which were providing maximum relief to people.
Mr Aziz said the Baitul Mal should provide immediate relief to deserving people, particularly in fighting hunger, medical treatment and education of children, while also focussing on self-employment programmes to enable them to stand lead a respectable life.
The prime minister was informed that Baitul Mal got all the funding from the federal government. During 1992-2000, 19.32 million people benefited from it while more than 46 million people got help from it in 2000-5.
He was informed that Baitul Mal had planned to fight hunger through a safety net programme for 1.85 million households, reduce child labour by setting up 150 centres, set up vocational training centres in each district and target 120,000 households though civil society organisations.
The Baitul Mal got 35 women and juvenile prisoners released from jails by paying fine and diyat for them. It opened vocational and handicraft schools in Haripur and Hyderabad jails for women.
It provided funds for construction if a state-of-the-art burns centre in Jinnah Hospital, Lahore.
The Baitul Mal spent Rs7 million on shelters for rehabilitation of women and children of areas affected by the Oct 8 earthquake.
The prime minister was informed that the Baitul Mal had disbursed Rs13 million to 1.46 million households under the Food Support Programme.
During 2005-6, 50,000 students will benefit from the Child Support Programme and the number will be increased to 175,000 during 2006-7. It disbursed Rs1.375 billion under the Individual Financial Assistance Programme for medical treatment, education, rehabilitation and shock therapy.
The prime minister was informed that the Baitul Mal had set up 130 centres for rehabilitation of child labourers and 133 to impart vocational training to widows, orphans and poor girls.
Prime Minister Aziz asked the Baitul Mal to improve its delivery mechanism, coverage of financial assistance and services through institutional rehabilitation.