Of K-P’s 26 districts, only Peshawar is yet to decide a chairperson for the Zakat committee. PHOTO: MARIAM ESSA/EXPRESS
Differences have cropped up among local leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over the nomination of Ushr and Zakat chairperson of the district.
An insider of PTI’s local chapter told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the party had nominated Malik Tahir Raees as the district chairperson while Minister for Information Shah Farman had recommended Muhammad Daud.
Of the 26 districts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), only Peshawar is yet to decide a chairperson for the Zakat and Ushr committee as all others have been nominated months before. The chairperson is responsible for disbursing Zakat funds among impoverished members of the society under different entities such as health, education, skills development and student scholarships.
The personal secretary of a Peshawar-based PTI MPA, requesting not to be named, told The Express Tribune district leaders had been fighting over the issue for several months. He added the local leadership had agreed on Raees but his name was dropped in the end.
Raees, a district PTI leader, said the provincial Zakat council committee members had recommended his name for the chairpersonship but the information minister later replaced his name with Daud’s.
He termed Farman’s intervention in the process as baseless and asked what happened to the PTI values of change and justice. He said he had informed PTI Chairperson Imran Khan after which PTI Secretary General Jehangir Tareen and PTI leader Naeemul Haq intervened and asked authorities to settle the matter.
He said he also submitted a petition at the Peshawar High Court against the issuance of the ‘illegal’ notification for the post of district Zakat and Ushr chairperson which granted a stay order till Tuesday (today).
PTI Peshawar President Younas Zaheer said a party meeting had decided that Daud would be the chairperson and has convinced Raees to vacate the slot.
He admitted to differences inside the party over Daud’s nomination but said they have been settled now. Raees would be withdrawing his court petition, claimed Zaheer, and would be given a senior position in the local government set-up.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Ameer Bahrullah Khan said his party did not agree with the decisions taken by the PTI-led government in this regard.
“PTI promised its coalition partners at the time of oath taking that no party will interfere in each other’s ministries, however, they have failed to stand to their promise,” he said.
Despite repeated attempts, the information minister could not be reached.
JI criticised over Zakat ‘monopoly’
Earlier, during an assembly session on February 28, opposition leaders blamed JI for appointing party workers as chairperson of Zakat committees across the province.
MPA Malik Riaz had said it seems only JI leaders are the followers of Islam and have expertise in Zakat issues.
Answering a question on the floor of the house in that session, Minister for Ushr and Zakat Habibur Rahman had stated that according to the Zakat Act, 2011, no one can interfere in the appointment of Zakat committees as the Zakat council was elected by all the coalition partners and no one could interfere in their affairs.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2014.
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So what's the news here? That there is conflict within the party? Isn't that a good sign? Oh wait, we are so used to parties where orders are given and they have to be followed. And what's the point in reporting when all the sources did not wish to be named? No sources means no credibility - Journalism 101. Now lets see if this get printed!