Non-existence of council holds up Zakat distribution
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to contact the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the constitution of the Zakat Council for disbursement of Rs1,740 million Zakat fund among deserving persons on Eid.
An official document available with APP revealed that Zakat funds amounting to Rs1,390 million for settled districts and Rs350 million for the merged districts were received on March 8, however, due to the non-existence of K-P Zakat and Ushr Council the amount could not be distributed.
It said that the three-year term of Zakat and Usher Council in the province has expired and the available funds could not be distributed until the constitution of the new council, which has added to the plight of the deserving people of the province.
According to the secretary Zakat department, chief minister appoints the chairman and members of the councils and the government establishes the KP Zakat and Ushr Council (KPZC), District Zakat Committees (DZCs) and Local Zakat Committees (LZCs) for a period of three-year, adding that KPZC being the apex body prepares zakat budget for each financial year.
Special Assistant to KP CM for Zakat Salma Begum has said that since the ECP has banned all sorts of new appointments and constitution of the new council therefore the commission would be contacted to empower the provincial government to constitute KPZC for release and disbursement of zakat funds among deserving people on the eve of Eid.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2023.