A parliamentary panel Friday objected to the distribution of Zakat in provinces based on population. It recommended that Zakat should be distributed on poverty basis. The sub-committee of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examined the audit accounts of the ministry of religious affairs and ministry of foreign affairs for the year 2007-08.
The committee was met under convenor Shahida Akhtar. During the audit of disbursement of Zakat of Rs 3.4 million of Chandka Medical College and Hospital, Larkana, it was observed that deserving people did not get approval from district Zakat officials, Nazim, DCOs or health welfare committee. The officials of the ministry of religious affairs informed the committee that the matter was sent to government of Sindh asking it to take action against the responsible. The parliamentary panel directed it to also submit a report in this regard.
The committee also directed recovery of Rs 0.217 million paid to a deserving on open cheque instead of cross cheque from the accounts of Zakat maintained by the Atomic Energy Commission, Peshawar. The audit observed that Rs 0.452 million was withdrawn against the cheque and the matter was in the court of law. The ministry of religious affairs also released Rs 1.371 million payments for income support through open cheque and failed to maintain the record. Examining the audit accounts of the ministry of foreign affairs, the audit report noted that equipment worth Rs 70 million was missing from the stores. No record was available of missing items at all. The committee directed to provide the details in two months.
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