One expects the list of organisations asking for Zakat to grow. Hence it is not surprising that there are at least half a dozen new Zakat collectors advertising their appeal in the press. An unexpected addition to the list is the government asking for donations through large half-page and full-page costly advertisements of the Ministry of Zakat & Ushr.
An unfounded but popular idea among the public is that the Ministry of Zakat & Ushr must be the richest ministry. Billions of rupees are collected from the Zakat cuts on saving and current accounts at the banks. This year, since Ramazan started on Sunday, the banks remained closed on Monday for normal transactions so that the bankers could make the Zakat cut, which otherwise is traditionally done on the first day of the month of fasting.
This method of Zakat collecting upset the whole nation when it was introduced about three decades ago by Ziaul Haq. Over the years, holders of bank accounts found ways and loopholes to escape this enforced payment of Zakat. Gradually, as others replaced Ziaul Haq, the government itself provided some relief. But conscientious people were not always willing to use the loopholes.
A case in point is that Shia account holders were exempted. Even though many Sunnis declared themselves to be Shia to avoid payment, the majority Sunnis did not use this ploy. They preferred another loophole, which was to draw all their money from the bank before the start of Ramazan. This proved dangerous, landing the withdrawer of funds from the frying pan into the fire as he or she was liable to get mugged and have all the wealth looted.
Nevertheless, bank tellers helped. They would provided a form on which a removal of funds was effected and another form on which the money was redeposited. Thus the money remained in bank security but was not recorded on the books for Zakat cuts. This method, too, proved dangerous if the teller was a shady person.
In short, ever since Zakat was cut from bank accounts it has increased dishonesty. People who use the loopholes try to justify it by telling you that they are not against payment of Zakat but they do not like this depersonalised method of their Zakat funds ending up in the hands of government functionaries who are by nature dishonest. Thus they are forced to adopt dishonest ways to prevent their funds from ending up, probably in the packets of the government rather than helping the poor.
The worst affected were widows and pensioners and so the government ordered that they would not have Zakat cut from their savings and current accounts. Later, any bank account holder could declare he or she did not want Zakat deducted. Yet the majority let things be. Thus, despite the loopholes and relief measures, the Ministry of Zakat & Ushr still collects a king's ransom in Zakat from bank accounts every Ramazan.
No matter what, the ministry may claim in its expensive advertisements, it cannot convince the public that it is a fair system of Zakat collection and distribution. From day One we have heard of fraud by the ministry's employees, especially in small towns and villages.
Besides cuts from bank accounts the appeal for extra Zakat donations by the ministry is, to say the least, shameful. Sindh donations can be deposited in any bank in account number CZ-08. This is the Central Zakat Fund maintained by the State Bank of Pakistan. The majority of other Zakat collecting organisations have also issued their account numbers. It is quite confusing. The claim made by the Ministry of Zakat & Ushr in the advertisement is that the ministry has a "Vision". This presumably is a new vision and presumably of the PPP government since, beside the chief of the ministry the advertisement displays pictures of the president and prime minister.
This "Vision" is "to create a system of Social Protection for the poor, enabling them to positively contribute to society." If my English is correct then "to create" means they have not yet created but plan to do so. Wasn't this part of the PPP manifesto for elections? In short, it appears as if the PPP is using funds for party promotion and to forward their own agenda. Which means those who support the party among the poor will be the privileged poor.
The Zakat collected by the Ministry of Zakat & Ushr, it seems, will be funding things budgeted already. These include funds allocated and distributed in proportion of need for education, health, social welfare and rehabilitation purposes", according to the Zakat advertisement. The ministry obviously does not have a separate programme of its own for funding these things. How is one then to believe that the Zakat collection reaches the poorest of the poor though the Ministry of Zakat and Ushr?
For nearly 30 years huge sums are collected from bank accounts yet more and more people fall below the poverty line every year. These people were not poor, they belonged to the lower middle-class. As for health and education, these remain in a miserable state. It is interesting to note that besides the government, many health and education organisations are also seekers of Zakat. Some of them, such as the Civil Hospital Karachi, is supposed to receive grants from the government.
This year the Civil Hospital has also appealed for Zakat. Some of the organisations are actually NGOs funded by foreign countries. This year they too seek Zakat. Then there is the big question of accountability. How do we know if the amount declared as Zakat collection by the government or any organisation is the actual amount received? A lot of Zakat enters Pakistan from rich Arab countries as well as from expats. There is no separate money accounting of these funds. We do not know how much money exactly enters the country in this manner.
Government collection of Zakat should be banned because it causes too much mistrust Zakat donation is and ought to remain a personal choice who to give it to.
There should be no official Zakat collection as it has proved a failure in alleviating poverty, solving pressing welfare issues or improving education and health levels. One is not against private organisations asking for Zakat. I agree with the SUIT argument in their advertisement that a personal donation might help a poor with food for a while but a donation to suit could help the poor patient.
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