Social welfare or slush fund? Past politicians looted millions from PBM

MD says difficult to fulfil responsibilities in meagre budget


Razya Khan November 27, 2018
PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: Politicians in the past have pilfered millions from the country’s apex social welfare and charity organisation.

This startling claim has been made by Pakistan Baitul Maal’s (PBM) Managing Director Aun Abbas Buppi on Monday in an exclusive conversation with Daily Express.

The PBM provides financial assistance to the destitute, widows, orphans, invalids, the infirm and other needy people at the bottom of the social ladder, focusing on educational and medical assistance along with financial aid to charitable institutions. It also supports the orphanage Pakistan Sweet Homes and the Pakistan Thalassemia Centre.

However, Buppi stated that the welfare institution’s budget has been slashed from Rs12 billion to just Rs5 billion. As a result of the cuts, it has become nigh impossible to operate its 150 offices and 38 shelters.

“Around 150 centres for strengthening women are operating under PBM’s supervision. To run everything thing with such few funds has become a massive challenge,” Buppi noted.

He added that the government allocates around Rs170 billion for the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), and while they do not want that programme to be affected, they have suggested that the government enhance their budget as well.

To deal with the cash crunch, he said that they will be pursuing projects, including those on-going, through a public-private partnership. In this regard, they are drafting the rules and procedures for donations from embassies and other institutions and charities.

“Embassies will bear the expenses of food and kitchen for kids at the Pakistan Sweet Homes,” Buppi said.

Moreover, Buppi said that following Prime Minister Imran Khan’s austerity drive, they will be auctioning 133 vehicles of PBM across the country. They are also scaling back expenses incurred at PBM’s head office, with its budget reduced by 25 per cent, with the funds redirected to 22 districts which have never received funds in the past 10 years.

These districts are located in Balochistan, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Buppi said that the PBM employs around 7,000 people along with 1,300 daily-wagers.

The PBM chief noted that the daily-wagers had been hired by previous governments but their wages have been paid from the current budget.

“Regularisation of these employees is part of our project,” Buppi said.

Further, Buppi said that the PBM supports the education of deserving students in around 50 government universities. But now registrars of all universities have been asked to provide data of such students so that the upcoming, deserving generations can be granted access to education.

Moreover, the PBM will be working to release those prisoners who have completed their terms but do not have the money to pay the necessary fines.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2018.

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