Using Zakat fund for flood affectees: LHC calls report from Zakat, Ushr department

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has called report from Zakat and Ushr department in a petition praying to the court to restrain the respondent provincial government from using Zakat fund for flood affectees.
The petitioner Kashif Mehmood contended in his petition that Zakat funds are meant for the poor and needy people but government want to use them for the flood affectees. He said people, Pakistan NGOs, foreign countries and donors are providing funds for the flood affectees and hence government should not use the Zakat funds for them.
He said that Zakat department usually gives Zakat funds to the needy people at the eve of Eid specially but at this Eid they have been deprived of this facility. He contended that the action of the respondent government to convert the Zakat fund to flood relief fund is illegal and against the injunctions of Islam. He, therefore, prayed to the court to restrain the government from using Zakat funds as flood relief fund.