Issuance of Benazir Muawinat Cards: end of chairmen's role in Zakat disbursement likely to create unease among political parties

After issuance of 'Benazir Muawinat Cards' by National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the role of chairmen Zakat committees of Zakat and Ushr department would end, which would create unease in Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and other allied parties as most of the chairmen are affiliated with ruling parties directly or indirectly.
Sindh Zakat and Ushr department and Nadra have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) a few days back, under which Nadra would issue 'Benazir Muawinat Cards' to the 85,000 Zakat beneficiaries very soon. An official of the department told this scribe that Zakat chairmen had been the back bone of the department, who worked at district, Taulka and ward level for identification of deserving persons and disbursement of Zakat amount among them.
He said that the chairmen system was in place since last many decades. Earlier, 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 of Zakat which has opened the doors of corruption in disbursement of Zakat," he added.
With signing of MoU between Nadra and Zakat and Ushr department, he added, the Guzara allowance would now be paid to 85,000 identified beneficiaries through Benazir Muawinat Cards. "However, earlier it was the discretion of Zakat chairman to issue cheques of Zakat amount to the beneficiaries. The department had received a large number of complaints of corruption and embezzlement in outlay of Zakat amount by the chairmen," he added.
He further told that each beneficiary would receive Rs 3,000 (at the rate of Rs 500 per month) after every six months through Nadra's e-Sahulat centres by going through a process of bio-metric identification. The official said that 95 percent chairmen working in Zakat department were politically affiliated people. This new system would lead to complete transparency in distribution of Zakat amount among the deserving people, he said. Annually around Rs 500 million out of Zakat budget would be disbursed through the e-sahulat mode, he added.
He maintained that the chairman would be replaced by the staff of Nadra. "They would be deployed at more than 100 outlets, which would be established all over the province for the issuance of Benazir Muawinat Cards," he added. Nadra would also conduct reporting and monitoring of the whole system to ensure complete transparency.