Zakat crisis leaves thousands without aid

Due to a severe economic and financial crisis, the Zakat Department in Rawalpindi has failed to provide financial assistance to deserving beneficiaries for the past 10 months. This year, no Eid gifts were distributed on Eidul Fitr, and there are fears that assistance may also not be given on Eidul Azha.

According to sources, the government has not released a single penny to the Rawalpindi Zakat Council during this period. Owing to official apathy and lack of interest, the structure of the Zakat Department has effectively collapsed across Rawalpindi Division and the province. District Zakat Committees have not been properly constituted for the past three years, and Rawalpindi currently has no district chairman. At the union council level, all 1,166 local Zakat committees in the district have remained dissolved for three years and are being run by administrators on a daily-wage basis.

To support widows and other needy individuals, the department has reportedly started seeking donations from philanthropists and traders. Funds collected in this manner are being used to assist the most deserving families. However, for nearly a year, families of leprosy patients and visually impaired individuals in the district have received no financial aid.

The suspension of Zakat funds has also disrupted medical services in major public hospitals across the district, including surgeries, eye operations and kidney dialysis for Zakat-eligible patients. As a result, several critically ill patients have reportedly lost their lives. Educational stipends for children of deserving families have also not been disbursed, forcing many students to drop out due to non-payment of fees.

Previously, around 10,000 poor families, including widows and orphans, received monthly assistance of Rs2,000 to Rs3,000, which has now completely stopped.

A widow, Razia Bibi, said she has been visiting the Zakat office for the past 10 months but is sent back each time with assurances of payment "next month." She added that her travel expenses now exceed the amount she was supposed to receive, leaving her with no option but to beg for survival.

An official from the Zakat Council Rawalpindi said funds are expected to be released by Eidul Azha, after which all pending dues will be cleared.