ISLAMABAD, May 7: The Ad-hoc Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday expressed concern over the embezzlement of Zakat fund through misuse of authority by the Northern Areas Zakat Council during year 1992-95.
The council had made irregular payments of Rs1.954 million as TA/DA and another amount of Rs27.325 million without any justification.
The committee, reviewing the audit reports of the Central Zakat Fund for 1999-00, also noted with concern what it termed a culpable negligence by the Zakat disbursement system, which resulted in pilferage and non-utilisation of the fund accumulating up to Rs23 billion.
The PAC, met with Mr H.U.Baig in the chair, also expressed its dismay over the increase of poverty from 16-38 per cent, despite availability of ample financial resources in the Zakat fund.
The committee decided to appoint a three-member sub-committee comprising Talat Masood, M.Hasan Bhutto and S.Shaukat Hussain Kazmi to identify the persons responsible for the abuse of authority.
It also deplored misuse of pilgrim’s welfare fund amounting to Rs54 million by spending on purchase of car for secretary, payment of telephone bills, purchase of air tickets and furniture for residence of a minister.
The director-general of audit informed the PAC that the administrator of Northern Areas Zakat Council made the payment of TA/DA to five deputy commissioners at the rate of Rs100,000 each on same day in advance.
The PAO was asked by the committee to hold inquiry into the misuse of funds and initiate action against person authorising such payment as well as ensure recovery of Zakat money from the government or the individuals and report to committee within 15 days.
Zakat officials told the account body that a total of 700,000 deserving persons from all over the country were benefited from Zakat fund annually, with 18 per cent going to educational institutions including religious schools, 60 per cent as Guzara allowance (sustenance) at a maximum of Rs500 per month with remaining disbursed in various social welfare schemes including health facilities.
A member of the committee termed the rate of Zakat per head ridiculous and meaningless, and noted that it should be made respectable in view of accumulated deposits of Rs23 billion.
The committee was informed about a number of irregular payments through big hospitals during the year 1999-00 in cases where doctors deviated from the given list in prescribing medicines, which the committee condoned as emergency-care demand, and asked the quarters concerned to update the list regularly.
Senior DAG on this occasion said the purpose of audit was not to create confusion, but to provide a fair chance to the concerned departments to bring the system in accordance with procedures laid down in the law.
The committee on the occasion observed that a carefree attitude towards accounting, rules and procedure was rampant on all levels of Zakat distribution.
Those who attended the meeting included Lt-Gen Talat Masood (Rtd), Ahadullah Akmal, Muzaffar Ahmed, M.Hasan Bhutto, S.Shaukat Hussain Kazmi, Irtiza Hussain and Mujahid Ishai besides senior officials from Auditor general and director of audit, secretary m/o religious affairs, Zakat and usher.