Benazir Muawinat cards: role of Zakat committees' chairmen won't end despite online disbursement

Despite introduction of online disbursement of Zakat through Benazir Muawinat cards, the official role of some 7080 chairmen of local Zakat committees would not be ended, as Zakat and Ushr department has decided to continue them with the same powers apparently on political pressure, Business Recorder has learnt.
It was expected that after issuance of Benazir cards by Zakat and Ushr department with the technical support of National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the role of chairmen Zakat committees would finish, as they used to issue cheques of various Zakat allowances to Mustahqeen (deserving people) in the past. But now, the enrolled Mustahqeen would draw their money themselves from banks, a senior official of the department told Business Recorder.
Provincial Zakat and Ushr department and Nadra had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 12, 2012 under which Nadra had issued 'Benazir Muawinat Cards' to some 81,000 Zakat beneficiaries. Currently, Nadra enrolled 65,962 Zakat beneficiaries in its data and they all would be paid various allowances through Benazri cards in the first week of August, 2013.
After issuance of Benazir cards, when there were reports the role of chairmen would end, the politically-affiliated chairmen pressured the government not to end their role. The chairmen are affiliated with ruling parties of previous provincial government including PPPP, the officer said. He informed that there were some 7080 chairmen in Sindh, who were working at district, taulka and ward level for identification of deserving persons and disbursement of Zakat amount among them since the establishment of Zakat department.
Initially, honest and trustworthy people were used to be assigned the job of Zakat chairman. However, since late 90s, people affiliated with the ruling parties were being made chairmen which opened the doors of corruption in disbursement of Zakat, he pointed out.
With the introduction of Benazir cards, the Zakat department will sent the amount to Nadra, which transfer the amount to the deserving people, who would draw it through the cards. Earlier, it was the discretion of chairman local Zakat committee to issue cheque to the beneficiaries.
He conformed that the department had decided a few months back to end the role of Zakat chairmen at local level but after the political pressures, the department had to reverse its decision and now the chairmen would continue their jobs with the same powers.
When contacted, Secretary Zakat and Ushr Mohammad Ramzan Awan told Business Recorder that it had been decided that chairmen would continue but they will not issue cheques to Zakat Mustahqeen now, as they would draw the amount through Benazir cards. Rejecting the reports of any political pressure, he said, "We have taken this decision after consultations at all levels. If we will end the role of chairmen, than who will do the job of identification of new Mustahqeen?"